National Park Service

Bayard Rustin Explains March on Washington Route with Map, August 1963

Bayard Rustin displays and explains a detailed map of the March on Washington route, addressing logistical and strategic planning to organizers and media ahead of the historic event.

Bayard Rustin at the Forefront of Anti-Segregation Organizing, 1950s

Rustin sits before a striking sign that reads "Jim Crow Can't Teach Democracy," encapsulating the spirit of his grassroots campaigns to expose and dismantle segregation in American society. The placard signals both protest and political messaging, emblematic of Rustin’s commitment to challenging the hypocrisy of racial discrimination in a nation founded on democratic principles.