In this piece, Bayard Rustin argues that by the early 1970s the civil rights movement had entered a new phase, shifting from protest to “political self-expression” through voting, organizing, and coalition-building. He urges a move toward professional, interracial politics focused on winning power in Congress and securing broad economic reforms rather than retreating into race-based isolation.
The Professionalization of the Movement: Lessons from 1972
"The Rationalization of Neglect" Newspaper Column
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.
