The 2003 film “Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin,” depicts the prominent Civil Rights activist, Bayard Rustin. This documentary highlights Rustin’s significant contributions to the Civil Rights movement, particularly his non-violent approach to the organization of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Bayard Rustin stood alongside Martin Luther King Jr., as an advisor, specifically, during his famous, “I Have a Dream” speech. Bayard Rustin’s overall involvement and accomplishments in the Civil Rights movement are remarkable. Beyond his activism, the film emphasizes Rustin’s multifaceted identity, as a gay man. Further, I will explore the intersectionality that Bayard Rustin endured, regarding his race, as an African American
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Additionally, it is the sole responsibility of this demographic to educate themselves on the topic at hand. Seemingly, not all information given may be accurate, proving to be beneficial when forming opinions. By making note of this, we may begin to navigate the complexities of current-day American society. To finalize, the lack of awareness surrounding Bayard Rustin’s life not only demonstrates issues within itself, but also leads to other topics of discussion, regarding intersectionality. Throughout this documentary film, Bayard Rustin was seen in photographs, videos, and from verbal confirmation, hidden in the background. The Stonewall Riots, in 1969, was one of the most influential rebellions, pertaining to the Gay rights movement. At this time, and within New York (and all other U.S. States), homosexuality was illegal. And it was not until 1980, that New York legalized same-sex relationships (Research Guides: LGBTQIA+ Studies: A Resource Guide: 1969: The Stonewall …show more content…
to withdraw his individual support from the Democratic Convention, or else he would falsely inform the press that King and Bayard were engaging in a sexual affair. Under these circumstances, this ultimately threatened King, his beliefs and ideals, and how effective his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement was. Simply, this logic can be attributed to intersectionality, and its multiple complexities. Specifically, for Bayard Rustin and individuals that also identify as black gay men, it would be beneficial for these individuals (if they wanted to) to first join advocacy groups for Black rights, and then to join advocacy groups for specifically Black, gay rights. This idea targets larger issues first, and then works to solve more niche issues, as communities for those are typically smaller and will need more support. As a prominent activist during this time, Bayard Rustin was put in the spotlight, within the intersection of his identity factors; being Black and being gay. While being physically hidden has apparent issues, it is vital to acknowledge that the reasoning for this was that, although Rustin was unashamed in who he was as a gay individual, the majority of others (at this time) did not agree, neither did the
Additionally, it is the sole responsibility of this demographic to educate themselves on the topic at hand. Seemingly, not all information given may be accurate, proving to be beneficial when forming opinions. By making note of this, we may begin to navigate the complexities of current-day American society. To finalize, the lack of awareness surrounding Bayard Rustin’s life not only demonstrates issues within itself, but also leads to other topics of discussion, regarding intersectionality. Throughout this documentary film, Bayard Rustin was seen in photographs, videos, and from verbal confirmation, hidden in the background. The Stonewall Riots, in 1969, was one of the most influential rebellions, pertaining to the Gay rights movement. At this time, and within New York (and all other U.S. States), homosexuality was illegal. And it was not until 1980, that New York legalized same-sex relationships (Research Guides: LGBTQIA+ Studies: A Resource Guide: 1969: The Stonewall …show more content…
to withdraw his individual support from the Democratic Convention, or else he would falsely inform the press that King and Bayard were engaging in a sexual affair. Under these circumstances, this ultimately threatened King, his beliefs and ideals, and how effective his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement was. Simply, this logic can be attributed to intersectionality, and its multiple complexities. Specifically, for Bayard Rustin and individuals that also identify as black gay men, it would be beneficial for these individuals (if they wanted to) to first join advocacy groups for Black rights, and then to join advocacy groups for specifically Black, gay rights. This idea targets larger issues first, and then works to solve more niche issues, as communities for those are typically smaller and will need more support. As a prominent activist during this time, Bayard Rustin was put in the spotlight, within the intersection of his identity factors; being Black and being gay. While being physically hidden has apparent issues, it is vital to acknowledge that the reasoning for this was that, although Rustin was unashamed in who he was as a gay individual, the majority of others (at this time) did not agree, neither did the