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 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
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.
