This is a story from a middle chapter in Bayard Rustin's career, the story of the War Resisters League's decision to hire Bayard. Hiring him was a decision that WRL’s leadership wrestled over and ultimately decided to do. Even a cursory look at it reveals a lot about American social norms (then and now) and, likewise, about how power, oppression, and homophobia function even in professed radical organizations like WRL.
Mike Levinson shares his story of being a young man finding his way to a protest in New York City in 1973 and the beginning of his involvement with WRL.
On April 27, 1965, Bayard Rustin was presented with the seventh annual War Resisters League Peace Award at WRL’s 42nd annual dinner. In making the presentation A.J. Muste noting that Bayard “suffered for his convictions and held firmly and courageously to them… [A] tireless seeker for more effective ways to advance the cause of freedom, peace, and humanity throughout the world.”
Hear the recording and read an annotated transcript of Rustin's remarks in this blog entry...
