The speech “Negro Revolution in 1965,” delivered by Bayard Rustin at the Center for Democratic Institutions in 1964, articulated a crucial vision for the evolving civil rights movement. Rustin framed the movement as both a push for integration into American society and a revolutionary force demanding substantive systemic change. He analyzed the contradictions within existing American institutions and challenged assumptions about what true equality would require, emphasizing that while many African Americans sought inclusion within current frameworks, the existing structures were fundamentally incapable of fulfilling the demands for justice and fairness. Rustin also discussed the importance of coalition-building across racial and ideological lines, stressing the need to engage not only African Americans but also progressive whites, labor, and other groups to achieve lasting social transformation. His address reflected a nuanced understanding of the movement’s challenges and possibilities as it prepared to transition from protest to policy-driven advocacy.