Assignment Prompt
Traditional narratives of African American history are often presented as "straight" history, however Black LGBTQ+ individuals have shaped nearly every aspect of African American history and culture. In this essay you will write on the impact that the Black LGBTQ+ community has had within the wider African American community during the 20th century. You can choose an individual (e.g. James Baldwin, Pauli Murray, Bayard Rustin, Marsha P. Johnson, etc.), a cultural or political movement (e.g. Ballroom culture) or an event (e.g. Stonewall uprising). Note: "Uncle Clifford Rule 245.1" Please do not dead-name trans* individuals. (e.g. If you select Marsha P. Johnson do not list her birth name in your essay.) The (Gay) Harlem Renaissance | The History You Didn't Learn
Bayard Rustin was born on March 17, 1912, in Pennsylvania and was brought up by Quaker grandparents. Bayard was influenced by his grandmother to join the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and this paved the way for him to become an influential activist. Despite his contribution to the civil rights movement, he faced a lot of hardships. For instance, in 1953, Bayard was arrested due to a homosexual act and was forced to leave the fellowship of reconciliation. The arrest launched public attacks on Bayard by political opponents and civil rights leaders who regarded him as immoral. Bayard was regarded as an assistant to Martin Luther King and was a central figure in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s (Takatsuki, 2022). He usually came out openly as a gay man and his visibility was regarded as a threat due to the stigma associated with homosexuality. Bayard faced a lot of homophobic attacks from the citizens and leaders in the civil rights. Eventually, In 1962, Bayard was forced to bring to an end his association with Martin Luther King due to the rumors that he was romantically involved with the king (Takatsuki, 2022).
Though Bayard faced a lot of discrimination, he continued working towards achieving racial equality acting as a president of the A. Phillip Randolph Institute. Bayard fought for the improvement of the economic conditions of African Americans. One of the major contributions of Bayard Rustin is that he drafted the Economic Bill of Rights to achieve job security and increase the wages of poor and black people. Before his death, Bayard was very vocal about his sexuality and he began to fully focus on gay rights. Bayard believed that gay people have a moral obligation and it is crucial to encourage more gay people to come out of the closet (Long, 2023).
References
- Long, M. G. (Ed.). (2023). Bayard Rustin: A Legacy of Protest and Politics. NYU Press. https://nyupress.org/9781479813452/bayard-rustin/
- Takatsuki, M. (2022). LGBT+ figures you should know: Bayard Rustin. King's College London. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/lgbt-figures-you-should-know-bayard-rustin