Photograph of Bayard Rustin seated pensively, cigarette in hand, likely backstage at a University of Delaware forum.
Bayard Rustin at the 1968 Democratic National Convention with Julian Bond and John Lewis
Bayard Rustin’s "The Liberal Coalition and the 1968 Elections": A Blueprint for Economic Realignment
In this election-year essay, Bayard Rustin calls for a powerful coalition between labor, liberals, and the civil rights movement to defeat a reactionary alliance blocking racial and economic justice. He warns that without a serious, unified political strategy—anchored in programs like A. Philip Randolph’s Freedom Budget—the nation risks repeating the betrayal of Reconstruction and abandoning the promise of democracy.
1967 Pamphlet Outlining Rustin’s Freedom Budget for Economic and Racial Justice
Bayard Rustin's "On Blacks and Jews": Defending Coalition Against Antisemitism
Bayard Rustin warned bluntly that rising antisemitism in Black communities was both morally wrong and politically self-destructive, threatening to collapse the very coalitions that had advanced civil rights. He urged Black leaders to confront the issue directly, reminding readers of the long history of Jewish legal, political, and abolitionist support for Black freedom.
Bayard Rustin's Vision for Economic Justice: "Firebombs or a Freedom Budget"
In 1967, Rustin called for a sweeping Freedom Budget to confront the economic roots of racial injustice, arguing that the civil rights movement had shifted from winning rights to demanding resources. Only large-scale federal investment, he insisted, could meet the needs of the poorest and restore hope to Black communities.
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.
Bayard Rustin's "The Watts Manifesto and the McCone Report": Dismantling the Lies of Official Inquiry
In this article, Bayard Rustin argued that the McCone Commission misrepresented the Watts uprising by ignoring its political intent and the systemic racism that caused it. He warned that by refusing real reforms, the nation was teaching Black Americans that only violent rebellion could make their voices heard.
Bayard Rustin Speaks before the Senate Government Operations Subcommittee, 1966
Rustin testifies before the Senate Government Operations subcommittee, making his case for robust federal action to address persistent racial and economic inequality. By taking the witness stand, he translates movement experience into policy language, urging lawmakers to prioritize civil rights enforcement, anti-poverty programs, and protections for working Americans.
Bayard Rustin Refuses to take a Loyalty Oath
Bayard Rustin at Walter Reuther Press Conference, March 1965
From Protest to Politics: Rustin's Blueprint for Political Power
Bayard Rustin's landmark essay "From Protest to Politics," originally published in Commentary magazine and reprinted as a pamphlet by the League for Industrial Democracy, advocating for the civil rights movement's strategic transformation from direct action protests to coalition-based electoral politics and economic reform programs.
Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph at the Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery, 1965
Rustin and Randolph are present at the culmination of the Selma to Montgomery Marches, joining fellow movement leaders and supporters on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol to bear witness to speeches demanding full voting rights for African Americans. Their participation at this moment signified solidarity, strategic leadership, and the unwavering commitment required to challenge entrenched oppression in the Deep South.
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.
SNCC and CORE Reject Protest Moratorium at New York Strategy Meeting
This report covers a New York gathering of leading civil rights figures—including Bayard Rustin, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, James Farmer, and John Lewis—where SNCC and CORE declined to endorse a proposed moratorium on demonstrations until after the upcoming November election, signaling a split over tactics between direct-action proponents and calls for strategic pause.
Bayard Rustin Attempts to Restore Peace During Harlem Riots
The Power of Absence: The 1964 New York City School Boycott
Bayard Rustin helped lead a massive, peaceful school boycott in New York City, as more than 464,000 students stayed home to protest racial imbalance and unequal conditions in Black and Puerto Rican schools. Marked by orderly picketing, a major march in Brooklyn, and the creation of “Freedom Schools,” the action demonstrated the disciplined power of coalition politics to demand integrated, quality education.
Bayard Rustin with Youth Activists Preparing for Demonstration
Bayard Rustin is pictured speaking with young activists—Carolyn Carter, Cecil Carter, Kurt Levister, and Kathy Ross—who appear to be children, as they prepare for a civil rights demonstration. The photograph captures an early generation of youth involvement and Rustin’s mentorship role in guiding youthful organizers during the 1960s civil rights movement.
Bayard Rustin’s “Negro Revolution in 1965” Address at the Center for Democratic Institutions
In this address, Bayard Rustin argues that the civil rights movement seeks integration into American society as it exists, yet is inherently revolutionary because fulfilling Black demands requires transforming institutions that cannot remain unchanged. He calls for a strategic shift from protest to broad coalition-based political action, insisting that only a unified movement for full employment and social investment can address systemic injustice without pitting Black and white workers against one another.
