Harlem

Bayard Rustin’s "Military Precision": Organizing the March on Washington Amidst Personal Attacks

This Associated Press feature profiles Bayard Rustin as the chief organizer of the March on Washington, tasked with orchestrating a massive, military-scale logistical operation just weeks before the event. It also confronts the personal attacks used to discredit him, highlighting Rustin’s transparency, commitment to nonviolence, and central behind-the-scenes role alongside A. Philip Randolph.

Bayard Rustin and Cleveland Robinson at the March on Washington National Headquarters, 1963

Captured in front of the National Headquarters sign in Harlem, this photo shows civil rights leaders organizing for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a pivotal event set to take place less than a month later.