Hidden figures of Black history

Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist and advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., is a Black leader often left out of history

Dominic Urquides / Asst. Feature Editor

Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X.

These are some of the names people often remember during Black History Month. Though they are very important figures to recognize and celebrate, there are many other Black individuals who have not been highlighted in the media and are often left out of our history textbooks. 

Black History Month started in 1915 when famed historians Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland aimed to promote the achievements of Black Americans. What started off as only a week grew to a month-long observance as schools, cities, and states started to recognize the importance of Black history. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially acknowledged Black History Month. Now, it is an annual celebration meant to recognize the contributions of African-Americans in U.S. history. 

Each year, there is a theme for the month of February. For 2021, the theme is “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity,” which explores the spread of Black families across America as well as the African Diaspora.   

The month of February not only recognizes the advancements made thus far, but also the work that still needs to be done to create a more equitable society is a continuous fight.  

The Washington Memorial reflects onto the calm waters of the National Mall in Washington D.C. Thousands of Black and white Americans awaited Dr. King Jr. to make his soon-to-be iconic “I Have A Dream” speech. People gathered under the blistering sun to protest an unjust society and government. 

Unbeknownst to many, this iconic protest, over 200,000 strong, was made possible by the efforts of a tall, queer Black man, Bayard Rustin. He not only put together this protest, named the March on Washington, but was also an advisor to Dr. King Jr. himself. 

Assistant Professor of History Channon Miller, Ph.D. said that Rustin’s history of activism started before the march. His ability to strategize, make connections across state lines, and elicit a common message helped bring the protest to such a large scale. 

“Everyday people play such a central role in spreading the word and cultivating a movement, but it has to be a movement that you believe in,” Miller said. “So I do believe that Bayard Rusitn played a critical role in creating an agenda or a concept people could believe in and get behind.” 

Rustin was born on March 17, 1912, in West Chester, Philadelphia. The legacy he would create for himself would be one of intellect, pacifism, and organization. His peaceful roots started at a young age, as he came from a family of Quakers and his grandmother was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Many leaders of the Black community such as W.E.B. Du Bois visited his home frequently. Rustin attended college at Wilberforce University, Cheyney State Teachers College, and City College of New York. 

It was in college where Rustin joined the Young Communist League (YCL), as he believed in their commitment toward racial justice. However, when they switched their focus away from civil rights, he left the organization. After YCL, he helped coordinate workshops on non-violent actions, joined the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), and co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Rustin became King’s advisor during the Montgomery bus boycott where African-American participants organized together and refused to ride city buses in order to protest segregated seating. 

Rustin’s story was not a simple one. Throughout his years of activism, he had many run-ins with the law. Since he did not believe in the need for war, he objected to the World War II draft. For this reason, he was imprisoned for over two years. In 1947, he and other   CORE members were arrested for challenging segregation in interstate travel in what became known as the Journey of Reconciliation. This protest served as the basis for the Freedom Riders in 1961. After he was arrested, he was sentenced to be part of a chain gang where his details of the matter were published in several newspapers. 

Then in 1953, his sexuality became a public matter. He was arrested on a morals charge for having sexual relations with men in public settings. Ten years later, when he was asked to put together the March on Washington, many civil rights activists challenged the nomination because of his sexuality. For this reason, it was encouraged that he play more of a behind the scenes role. 

“When you are planning and cultivating a movement, a lot of its leaders, including Martin Luther King, were very interested in conveying an image that fit a more respectable image,” Miller stated. “…and respectable meant heterosexual… it meant to represent a certain class politics and Bayard Rustin fell outside of what was deemed respectable.” 

Rustin was ridiculed for being gay, for choosing not to join the draft, and for being a Communist. Despite the mockery, he organized one of the largest protests known to the country at the time. The people that believed in Rustin and his fight toward racial equality, who worked with him on the ground, gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial to protest for equal justice under the law. 

Rustin is one of the many Civil Rights leaders that have been undervalued in their contribution to history. He was Martin Luther King Jr.’s right-hand man and helped organize several influential protests. His intersectional identity as a gay Black man was critiqued by many, but that did not stop him from his mission to challenge segregation and the status quo. Rustin spent his final years as the president and co-chair of A. Philip Randolph Institute. He died in 1987 in New York. 

Bayard Rustin’s legacy is one to be remembered and celebrated. His contributions toward the fight for equal treatment under the law are monumental. He, along with other undervalued activists, should be honored not only during the month of February, but every day. 

“I want students to really understand that Black history is broad and vast,” Miller said. “That it includes the names and faces that we knew, that we see circulated and publicized, but also know that there are hundreds of thousands of other movers and shakers who played a critical role in trying to sustain Black lives in the United States and try to promote the well-being of Black people in the midst of white supremacy.”

Honoring Black History Month is to research and recognize the contributions of the many activists who have fought to create a more equal and equitable society. One cannot study American history without learning about Black history — the two are intertwined.