Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin was a unique twentieth-century American radical voice. A homosexual, World War II draft resister, and ex-communist, Rustin made enormous contributions to the civil rights, socialist, labor, peace, and gay rights movements in the United States, despite being viewed as an "outsider" by fellow activists. Author Jerold Podair also includes excerpts from Rustin's writings, speeches, letters, and statements, allowing the reader to gain firsthand interaction with one of the most important civil rights leaders-and one of the most important radical leaders-in twentieth-century American history.

Introduction: Shadowman
Chapter 1: Voice of Protest, 1912-1946
Chapter 2: Toward Peace and Racial Justice, 1946-1963
Chapter 3: The March on Washington, 1963
Chapter 4: Coalition Politics and Its Limits, 1963-1969
Chapter 5: The Humanist, 1969-1987
Conclusion: Rustin's American Dreams
Documents
Bibliographic Essay