The Angelic Troublemaker Volume 1 Issue 2
[Illustration: portrait of Bayard Rustin]
Art by Camil Williams
camilwilliams.com
VOL. 1 ISSUE 2 · JULY 2025
THE ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER
Official Quarterly of the Bayard Rustin Society
[Logo: National Center for Civil and Human Rights LGBTQ+ Institute]
Still Speaking Truth To Power: The Strategist Behind the Dream
BY Martha Caldwell
[Photograph: five people standing together, one holding a framed portrait]
BRS Members present Walter with a portrait created by Camil Williams. Left to Right: Javi Cordero, Walter Naegle, Tim’m West, Martha Caldwell and Marcus Lee.
On March 27, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN, hosted the opening of Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin. The exhibit features more than 200 artifacts, including items from Rustin’s personal collection such as passports, licenses, telegrams, letters, jewelry, notes, and photographs that document his lifelong commitment to truth, justice, and nonviolent resistance.
Several Bayard Rustin Society members were in attendance. Walter Naegle, Rustin’s surviving partner, helped curate the exhibit and spoke movingly about their life together. LGBTQ+ Institute Executive Director Tim’m West, Marcus Lee, Nathan Kelsey, and me. My 15-year-old grandson Javi also made the journey to celebrate the opening.
Ryan Jones, the museum’s Director of History and Curatorial Services, emphasized Rustin’s indispensable role as a strategist and organizer. “Without Bayard Rustin,” Jones said, “the Montgomery Bus Boycott would not have happened.” He further stated that without Bayard Rustin, the sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, and the entire movement of nonviolent direct action - and all of its successes - would not have occurred. “Without Bayard Rustin, there is no ‘I Have a Dream’ at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963,” he continued.
Though Rustin was the strategist and logistics mastermind behind many defining moments of the Civil Rights Movement, he often worked behind the scenes. As an openly gay Black man, he was frequently sidelined due to his identity, and his monumental contributions have been too often erased.
For me, two moments stood out. Sharing the event with my grandson was a highlight. Not only did I have the opportunity to introduce him to Rustin’s legacy firsthand, but he also had the honor of presenting a portrait of Bayard - created by BRS member Camil Williams (also featured in this issue) to Walter on behalf of the Atlanta chapter. Second, I met award-winning filmmaker Bennett Singer. As a teacher, I showed Singer’s groundbreaking documentary Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin every year. Singer, along with Tim’m, Walter, and Anare Holmes returned to Memphis on June 5 for a public screening and a community conversation about the film.
Bayard’s life reminds us that justice requires strategy, peace requires discipline, and liberation demands the inclusion of everyone’s full humanity.
Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin is on view at the National Civil Rights Museum through December 31, 2025.
This Issue:
Cincinnati Chapter Spotlight Page 2
LGBTQ+ Institute Board Spotlight Page 2
Member Spotlight Page 2
Putting Our Money Where Our Rights Are Page 3
Rising to Meet the Moment - A Fireside Chat Page 3
Artist Spotlight: Camil Williams Page 3
The Fantasies of Future Things Page 4
IGNYTE 2025 Page 4
Join Team Bayard for the AIDS Walk Page 4
Announcements, Events, Updates
Thursday, July 17, 7:00 -8:00 PM (EST)
Bayard Rustin Society Fireside Chat
Radical Love, Relentless Justice: Bayard Rustin Blueprint for now
Moderator: Tatum Behrens
Panelists: Walter Naegle, Emil Wilbekin, & Marcus Lee
Members should have received calendar invite
Saturday, August 30, 1:00 -5:00 PM
YOU(th) Belong at Artists in the Afternoon 2025- Atlanta Black Pride
Auburn Avenue Research Library
101 Auburn Avenue, NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
FREE and Open to the Public
Saturday, September 27, 2025
AIDS Walk Atlanta
Join Team Bayard when you register and use EMPOWERYOUTH promo code to walk or to help fundraise
REGISTER HERE
Oct 9-12 2025
IGNYTE
The Symposium will feature a Bayard Rustin Society Track
REGISTER HERE
THE ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER
PAGE 01
Cincinnati Chapter Spotlight
BY RENEE HEVIA
[Photograph: group of people standing in front of a painted mural]
Back in February, Tim’m West, a cherished Cincinnati native and forever citizen, reached out to me in an effort to establish a Bayard Rustin Society chapter here. We both completed School Board School which prepares advocates invested in educational equity to run for school board, or support others who do. As long-time educators and friends, I answered the call.
On April 20th, we gathered for an informational meeting, which was a great representation of community members, across lines of generation, race, sexual orientation, and gender. Our group shared personal experiences about ways to support the LGBTQAI community in Cincinnati, given various legislative threates in Ohio. Because Tim’m was a former Board member and chair of Wordplay Cincy, we held the event there. It’s a grassroots-founded nonprofit organization committed to activating the strengths of children and teens in a safe, inclusive and inspiring place. Mary Oliver, Nikki Giovanni, and James Baldwin are among those featured on its mural.
Most remarkable were the organic moments that sparked solutions to various concerns people raised, from legal issues to housing support. Our hope for this year is to gain 15 members or more!
LGBTQ+ Institute Board Spotlight
Morna Gerrard
[Photograph: Morna Gerrard speaking into a microphone, with the LGBTQ+ Institute logo]
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
ICONS
MORNA GERRARD
Where do you call home and why?
Morna: I feel like I have two homes: one is here in Decatur GA, where I have made a wonderful life with my husband, Dave and 2 cats, and have been able to do 25 years of impactful work. At the same time, my heart is tightly bound to Scotland, where I was born and lived until I was 30 years old.
How have you managed self-care this year so far:
Morna: I have consumed vast amounts of chocolate, and have been very selective about what I watch online (mostly I seek out cat and dog content!) I also planned and just completed an internet-free vacation, starting out in Brussels and Bruges and then meeting up with my Scottish family in Paris.
As an early LGBTQ ally on the Institute’s board, what has allyship looked like for you?
Living with all of the privilege that comes with being a straight, cis person working in academia, I see allyship as a hugely important part of my life, and I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to support LGBTQ+ communities through consistent service, primarily as the archivist for the Gender and Sexuality Collections at GSU, which can be accessed at: https://research.library.gsu.edu/c.php?g=912561
[Graphic: AIDS Walk Atlanta logo and a photograph of a man looking upward, with a QR code]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIM’M!
AIDS WALK ATLANTA BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER
Atlanta Member Spotlight: Fredrick Bishop (he/him)
At the Intersection of being Black, Gay, and Autistic
[Photograph: portrait of Fredrick Bishop, with the LGBTQ+ Institute logo]
I AM AN ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER
Fredrick Bishop
BAYARD RUSTIN SOCIETY
Being actually autistic and an openly gay man is quite difficult. I was diagnosed with autism at the age of four and I first came out to my mother one week after my 18th birthday. While it was liberating to live in my truth, I soon found out it wasn't going to be an easy journey. I faced acidic reactions from other relatives, I wasn't able to cultivate meaningful interpersonal relationships throughout undergrad and my 20s, and I often found myself looking for love and affection in all the wrong places. Unfortunately, I have used my body and finances to try to make friends and establish connections. Now that I am in my 30s, I still lack community and a social life, but I am much wiser and stronger to deal with the pain and frustration I experience. I have the love and support of my mother and one of my goals is to encourage and empower the younger generations of autistic and/or LGBTQ individuals through motivational speaking via social media. If I can help one fellow autistic and LGBTQ person from making unhealthy decisions, I would have achieved my purpose.
THE ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER
PAGE 02
Our First Fireside Chat: Putting Our Money Where Our Rights Are
[Image: book cover]
THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR LGBT EQUALITY
WHY FAIR AND EQUAL TREATMENT BENEFITS US ALL
M. V. LEE BADGETT
In a recent Fireside Chat, the Bayard Rustin Society examined how economic justice strategies - like boycotts, spending power, and corporate accountability - can advance civil rights, building on Bayard Rustin’s legacy of strategic activism. Economist Lee Badgett and strategist Calvin Pegus led the discussion. Calvin cited an HRC report showing that 58% of LGBTQ+ consumers plan to reduce spending at companies without strong DEI programs, stressing the need to hold corporations accountable. Badgett highlighted the Montgomery Bus Boycott as a historic example of how sustained, targeted economic pressure can shift systems if efforts are strategic and long-term.
The group discussed current challenges, including the Target boycott, and emphasized the need for unity across movements. Evan Behrens cited Rustin’s Washington Post boycott as a model of focused, measurable impact. Tim’m West stressed the importance of ally support in advancing inclusive efforts. Together, the panelists affirmed Rustin’s belief that effective activism requires strategy, discipline, and solidarity.
July Fireside Chat: Radical Love, Relentless Justice: Bayard Rustin’s Blueprint For Now
Join us for an unforgettable evening of dialogue and insight as we honor the legacy of Bayard Rustin —civil rights strategist, unapologetic truth-teller, and architect of nonviolent change. In this pivotal moment in history, what can Rustin’s fearless advocacy teach us about how to move forward with radical love and relentless justice?
Moderated by TATUM BEHRENS
[Photograph: Tatum Behrens]
FEATURED PANELISTS
[Photograph: three men standing together]
WALTER NAEGLE
Bayard Rustin’s life partner and keeper of his legacy
EMIL WILBEKIN
Cultural critic, activist, and founder of Native Son
MARCUS LEE, PHD
Scholar, educator, and voice for Black queer liberation
July 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM EST
[Zoom meeting ID and passcode omitted]
This is more than a conversation—it’s a call to action. Don’t miss this powerful tribute and timely reckoning with Bayard Rustin’s vision for equity, dignity, and human rights.
Artist Spotlight: Camil Williams
[Photograph: two people standing on either side of a painted portrait of Bayard Rustin]
Artist Camil Williams and Nathan Kelsey, a patron and fellow BRS member, at the LGBTQ+ Institute’s Annual Bayard Rustin Day.
Born and raised in Chicago, Camil was shaped by a family of artists and a community devoted to elevating the Black experience. Her father illustrated comic books and painted landscapes; her mother was an abstract painter and doodler; and her stepmother was a crafter and doll maker, who managed portfolios for other artists, including family friend Annie Lee. Her older brother, a graffiti and portrait artist, was a major influence on the development of her unique artistic style. Camil’s childhood home was more than just a living space - it was a hub for Black genius. She learned at the feet of poets like Gwendolyn Brooks, cultural icons like Margaret Burroughs, and her world was imbued with the bold, unapologetic energy of the Black is Beautiful movement from its beginning. Camil didn’t develop her unique style in art school; she is self-taught. Her multi-layered work is dynamic and inspired, often revealing new meanings with time. “My portraits speak differently to different people,” she says. “They even speak differently to me on different days.” Drawing from the forms of the artists around her, she developed an approach she calls Melagenxonic – a style that reflects the Black experience as both central and displaced. She describes it as reflective of a "Black Unidentified Organism in a Foreign Environment." It speaks to the Black diaspora as a futuristic force, to transformation, to the genius of survival, cultural innovation, and radical freedom.
Currently, Camil is working on a series of portraits honoring LGBTQ civil rights leaders - visionaries like Bayard Rustin, Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, Pauli Murray, Nikki Giovanni, and Angela Davis. It’s a celebration of those who dared to be seen, heard, and powerful in every aspect of who they were - and led the way for those coming after them.
The Bayard Rustin Society adopted Camil’s Bayard Rustin portrait as our logo. To see more of her work, visit her website.
The Bayard Rustin Society adopted Camil’s Bayard Rustin portrait as our logo. To see more of her work, visit her website: camilwilliams.com
THE ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER
PAGE 03
The Cup of Truth: Doug Jones’ New Book The Fantasies of Future Things
[Photograph: book cover beside a portrait of Doug Jones seated in a chair]
THE FANTASIES OF FUTURE THINGS
a novel
"Gorgeously compassionate, this debut is as sharp as our past—and as bright as our future." —TAYARI JONES, New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage
DOUG JONES
"I recently attended a Doug Jones’ reading. It wasn’t just an exploration of a relationship, it was a mirror held up to the soul of our divided culture. Through tender, aching prose, he gave voice to the complexities of love, faith, and identity, especially when they exist in tension. I sat there undone, reminded how powerful it is to tell the truth when it’s uncomfortable, and to hold space for humanity on both sides of a deep divide.” --Chuma Hicks-Reese, REALTOR® & Co-Chair of The Bayard Rustin Society
In celebration of Pride Month, the Bayard Rustin Society hosted a powerful evening with Doug Jones, BRS member and author of the novel The Fantasies of Future Things. Reminiscent of Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, Jones’ novel is set in 1996 Atlanta and follows two men navigating the tension between their human dignity and the demands of professional ambition.
Hosted in partnership with the ArtsXchange, we welcomed a vibrant, intergenerational audience. Shean Atkins, mixed income and attainable housing strategist, introduced the evening and Hannibal Hendrix, a student at Morehouse interviewed Doug. Next, a dynamic and timely conversation unfolded around the intersections of race, sexuality, and housing inequality.
Beverages were provided by BE Cafe and books were provided by 44th & 3rd Booksellers. This free, public program was made possible by the LGBTQ+ Institute’s Bayard Rustin Society.
[Graphic: IGNYTE 2025 banner with a photograph of a group of people]
IGNYTE2025
WHERE THE FUTURE OF LGBTQ+ LEADERSHIP BEGINS
REGISTER NOW
Inspiring Growth, Networking, and Youth-Driven Transformation for Equity
[Logo: National Center for Civil and Human Rights LGBTQ+ Institute] [Logo: Delta]
October 9–12
Be Where the Future of LGBTQ+ Leadership Begins
IGNYTE 2025 isn’t just an event—it’s a movement. This dynamic, three-day experience unites emerging youth leaders, seasoned advocates, business trailblazers, and community changemakers to reimagine what equity looks like across generations. Set against the backdrop of Atlanta Pride and the LGBTQ+ Institute’s 10-year anniversary, IGNYTE offers rare access to cutting-edge workshops, bold conversations, and visionary keynote speakers driving real impact across the South and beyond.
If you believe in the power of mentorship, collaboration, and youth-led transformation—this is where you belong. There’s an entire Bayard Rustin Society Track so prepare to come network, learn, and be part of what’s next!
Join TEAM BAYARD For AIDS WAlk Atlanta
[Graphic: AIDS Walk Atlanta banner with a photograph of people walking behind an AIDS Walk Atlanta banner, with sponsor logos for AHF Pharmacy, Wells Fargo, and the LGBTQ+ Institute]
SEPTEMBER 27TH • PIEDMONT PARK
AIDS WALK Atlanta
MUSIC FESTIVAL & 5K RUN
PRESENTED BY
SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY
DONATE TODAY AT GO.CIVILANDHUMANRIGHTS.ORG/AIDSWALK
Join Team Bayard for the AIDS Walk Atlanta 5K & Music Festival on September 27, 2025!
This event is a major fundraiser for the LGBTQ+ Institute, and our collective support can make a powerful impact. Plus, it’s going to be a joyful, high-energy celebration of community and purpose!
Once on the site, look for “Join a Team” and search for Team Bayard. You’ll be guided to set up your own fundraising page. From there, you can rally your friends, family, and social networks to walk with us and support this vital cause.
Let’s walk, dance, and raise funds for a thriving community together!
THE ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKER
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