Bayard Rustin.  You may not know his name but you should. He was a major figure behind the scenes during the civil rights movement of the 1960’s in the United States. He counseled Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on techniques of non-violence. In fact, Bayard Rustin was the organizer of Dr. King’s 1963 March on Washington, wherein Dr. King gave his ever so revered “I Have A Dream” speech. The organization of an event of that magnitude was no easy feat, yet, few members of the African-American community even know his name, furthermore credit him for the role he played. Bayard Rustin’s sexuality was hardly a secret. Yet, he often held a low-key presence as to not distract the message of the movement or give the “haters” of that time fodder for their subversive agenda.

His humanitarian work did Read the rest of this entry »