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Art by Camil Williams

Image from Wikimedia Commons

"When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him."

Bayard Rustin, born on March 17, 1912, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, was a civil rights activist, strategist, and writer. He played a leading role in shaping the modern nonviolent civil rights movement and was the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Rooted in Quaker values and influenced by Gandhian principles, Rustin was an early advocate for nonviolent protest. He held leadership roles in organizations such as the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Congress of Racial Equality, and the A. Philip Randolph Institute. Rustin died on August 27, 1987, in New York City.

• Read the full biography
• The March on Washington