Who was Bayard Rustin? All about the African American activist ahead of Netflix biopic 

Colman Domingo will be bringing to screen the life of the African American gay civil rights activist, Bayard Rustin, in Netflix's upcoming biopic drama Rustin. The biographical drama directed by George C. Wolfe aims to portray Rustin's brave spirit and his commitment to justice despite being subjected to various forms of discrimination.

The upcoming film will feature Colman Domingo from the fame of Fear the Walking Dead in the lead role with Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, CCH Pounder, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Michael Potts, Bill Irwin, Jeffrey Wright and Audra McDonald. The synopsis for the film on IMDb reads:

"Bayard Rustin, adviser to Martin Luther King Jr., dedicates his life to the quest for racial equality, human rights and worldwide democracy. However, as an openly gay Black man, he is all but erased from the civil rights movement he helped build."

The film will be produced by the production company owned by Barack and Michelle Obama - Higher Ground Productions. It is set to be released in select theatres in the United States on November 3, 2023, and will be streaming on Netflix from November 17, 2023.

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Bayard Rustin: A visionary Civil Rights Leader

Born on March 17, 1912, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Bayard Rustin's journey as a civil rights activist began early in life. As an advocate for racial justice and equality, Rustin worked along the side of prominent figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and A. Philip Randolph. His approach to activism in a non-violent way and dedication to conducting peaceful protests became an integral part of the civil rights movement's success.

In 1941, Rustin worked with A. Philip Randolph on the March on Washington Movement which was to end racial discrimination in employment. He moved on to organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in order to strengthen the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. It was Rustin who taught King about non-violence in his approach.

Bayard Rustin was instrumental in his role in organizing the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Regardless of the fact that he was on the receiving end of prejudice due to his sexual orientation, he was steady in his commitment to the cause. The march, highlighted by Dr. King's iconic I Have a Dream speech, became a turning point in the fight thereby garnering national attention.

In 1954, Rustin worked alongside Ella Baker and eventually organised a group called 'In Friendship' including Stanley Levison of the American Jewish Congress. 'In Friendship' provided legal assistance and other help to those evicted from their households or tenant farms in Yazoo and Clarendon county among other places.

Rustin went on to become the head of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations' A. Philip Randolph Institute - an organisation that stood for the unionization of African-Americans.

A still from Rustin (Image via Netflix)

Colman Domingo tells Vanity Fair his thoughts on his role:

“I knew that being Bayard Rustin was not about me. It was about so many of the marginalized people, the women of the march, all the men, the people who don’t get a name, who don’t get their shine. I knew I had to be in service to them.”

As a gay man in an era marked by homophobia and racism, he faced severe marginalisation within the movement as well. Additionally, his arrest on charges related to homosexuality resulted in further scrutiny. Thus, Bayard Rustin was always merely behind the scenes and backing up prominent leaders in the movement.

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Written by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black, Netflix's Rustin aims to honour Bayard Rustin's legacy and fight as it releases on November 17, 2023.