|
"Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin", Cleis Press, 2003.Social ProtestAmos LassenNot many people know the name Bayard Rustin and that is unfortunate as he is one of the people responsible for bringing into force the strategies of non-violence. He was the consummate civil rights strategist and his influence is still felt in the politics of America.
His life was devoted to racial justice and a world without violence as well as to an economic democracy. But he never really entered the inner circle of the civil rights movement because he was gay and being gay and black in America was a double curse for him.The editors have done a wonderful job of collecting his writings and we easily see how he was in the vanguard of social protest even though his homosexuality was a point of contention within the movement and this also affected Martin Luther King.We have here an account from the inside of the defining political movement of the modern age and it is all contained right here in this book--some 50 years of Rustin's commitment to equality.
Carbado, Devon W. He organized the 1963 March on Washington and changed how the world looked at social protest.
This book will make you think and question civil rights in addition to giving us a complete look at an unsung hero. and Donald Weise (editors).
He taught them to Martin Luther King in 1956 and he helped change how African Americans saw social protest.
Bayard Rustin. His gentle words place no blame, instead he understands. I wish Rustin were here to see it. Five stars. Bayard Rustin felt that his homosexuality, which he never hid, put him in a unique position. If the meek shall inherit, than Bayard Rustin must be a very rich man.
His thoughtful writing ennobles us all by reading it, especially at this time as we make history by electing our first Black president. A true hero for the ages. Not that the man was personally meek, but his circumstances were. Placed in a minority at the bottom of every other minority, Rustin was engaged in the eradication of prejudice while suffering it himself. Great read. He was a gay black man who was marginalized by the Civil Rights movement he helped found but not embittered by the experience.
In his thoughtful collection Rustin never fails to come down on the proper side of a moral or ethical question, no matter whom it may offend or support.
The horror of how he was treated by people seeking rights is sad, but I'm that much more grateful that he persevered. Hopefully he will emerge as one of the most significant figures of the period. This is probably the best book I've read all year. Rustin is so under-appreciated.
An important work. The Rustin writings relating to his life as a gay man in America in the middle part of the 20th century are often as insightful as Rustin's writings on the movement. The editors, Devon Carbado and Donald Weise, have done the important work of bringing to us the writings of the central, but neglected, civil rights- and human rights- activist, Bayard Rustin. Their well-written Introduction does a superb job of properly placing Rustin within his times and sharing the story of this complex and important historical figure.
Similarly, his ideas will both impress and disgust readers. The person who organized the 1963 March on Washington for Civil Rights was a black gay man. The book starts with a well-done biography of the leader. I think all progressives, regardless of their race or sexual orientation, will be blown away by this black, gay hero.
In a way, it's almost limiting that the editors bring up only "two crosses" in the title of this book. Just like Frida Kahlo, Bayard Rustin juggled many balls and now modern readers get a chance to witness how excellently he did it. He spoke of feminism, international affairs, pacifism, labor rights, etc. Moreover, Rustin was on the forefront of issue far beyond just his race and sexuality.
Their contribution is that readers finally get to see what Rustin was thinking verbatim. Still, I love the way this collection disproves many myths: that gay black men don't care about civil rights, that only heterosexuals made black civil rights happen, that James Baldwin was the only black gay man who can be recognized in the struggle, etc. Two eminent scholars, Carbado and Weise, who have done much to open space for black gay studies continue that tradition by compiling some of Bayard Rustin's most famous speeches. This was one opinionated brotha.
However, he was a feisty figure who also wasn't afraid to butt heads with top dogs. The next sections are speeches on a range of issues which show how thoroughly ahead of his time this brotha was.Near the end of their biography section, the editors admit that much work has come out recently to highlight Rustin (two biographies, a documentary, etc). Due to homophobia and Far Right domination, Rustin was often silenced and marginalized.
|
