Extended interview with Bayard Rustin conducted by Blackside, Inc. for the Eyes on the Prize documentary precursor, covering his organizational role in Montgomery, Birmingham, the March on Washington, Selma, and the strategic shift from protest to electoral politics.
Black Power and the Perils of Isolation: Rustin’s Case for Coalition Politics
Bayard Rustin’s influential pamphlet “Black Power and Coalition Politics,” distributed by the A. Philip Randolph Institute, critiques the rising nationalist slogan “black power” and argues that sustainable social change requires interracial coalitions with labor, liberals, and religious groups to secure economic and political reforms rather than separatist withdrawal or violent confrontation.
1964 Pamphlet by Rustin on Nonviolent Resistance During the Harlem Riots
This 1964 pamphlet by Bayard Rustin offers a firsthand account of his efforts to promote nonviolent resistance during the Harlem riots. Rustin describes organizing a group of volunteers who protected residents and dispersed crowds, emphasizing the moral and strategic importance of nonviolence amid social unrest.
Bayard Rustin's 1962 Letter to JFK Defending War Tax Resister Max Sandin
Bayard Rustin at Antiwar Demonstration, Philadelphia, 1950
Bayard Rustin with Muriel Lester, India, 1948
Bayard Rustin Travels to India to Study Gandhian Principles, Meets Indian Prime Minister Nehru
Strings of Defiance: Bayard Rustin and the Lute in Prison, 1947
Bayard Rustin is pictured with a lute he taught himself to play while imprisoned for his refusal to serve in the military during World War II. Despite the challenges of incarceration, Rustin used music to maintain morale and resist the oppressive conditions of a racially segregated prison system. His time in prison was marked by persistent activism against segregation and injustice within the prison walls.
Bayard Rustin Defies Draft; Goes To Prison
A 1944 article from The Chicago Defender detailing Bayard Rustin’s principled refusal to comply with the World War II military draft based on his conscientious objection rooted in Quaker beliefs and commitment to nonviolence. The article highlights Rustin’s arrest and incarceration, his defense of civil liberties, and his rejection of both war and racial injustice. This early act of resistance marked the beginning of Rustin’s lifelong dedication to pacifism and civil rights activism, showcasing his courage during a period when draft evasion was heavily stigmatized and punished.
