In this oral history interview, Mandy Carter reflects on her decades of activism and the profound influence of Bayard Rustin on her commitment to nonviolent organizing. She connects Rustin’s legacy—from the Journey of Reconciliation to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom—to today’s movements for intersectional justice and Black queer leadership.
Standing in the Need of Prayer": Newton Garver’s Witness to Rustin at Swarthmore
In this reflective essay for Friends Journal, Newton Garver recounts a powerful 1949 talk by Bayard Rustin at Swarthmore College, where Rustin described his experience on a North Carolina chain gang after the 1947 Journey of Reconciliation. Garver highlights Rustin’s use of disciplined love and nonviolence—even toward a hostile guard—as a profound spiritual victory, ending with Rustin moving the audience by singing the spiritual “Standing in the Need of Prayer.”
Bayard Rustin’s Reflections on Race and Sexuality
In this letter to Joseph Beam, Bayard Rustin declines to participate in a collection of Black gay oral histories, explaining that his lifelong commitment to social struggle came not from identity, but from Quaker teachings that affirmed the “inner light” in every person. He frames his sexuality as a private matter—often made public against his will—and affirms that his deepest allegiance was always to universal principles of nonviolence and human rights.
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.
