This 1970 column finds Bayard Rustin critiquing the Nixon administration’s civil rights policies, arguing that the concept of “benign neglect” masked a retreat from meaningful commitments to racial equality. Focusing especially on education, Rustin contends that cuts to social programs and resistance to school integration undermined opportunities for Black communities. He ultimately defends desegregation and stronger federal investment as essential tools for achieving educational and economic progress.
Opposing Supreme Court Reversal: The Nomination of Judge Clement F. Haynsworth, Jr.
In this column published in The St. Louis American, Bayard Rustin condemns President Richard Nixon’s nomination of Judge Clement F. Haynsworth, Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court, citing his record on civil rights and labor rights. Rustin warns that Haynsworth’s confirmation could threaten hard-won progress toward racial and economic equality and calls on citizens to oppose his nomination.
