March on Washington
The pacifist project for which Rustin is
most well-known is the 1963 March on
Washington, which he organized largely
under his own direction, although officially
he reported to A. Phillip Randolph. Three
weeks before the scheduled date of the
March, Southern Dixiecrat Senator Strom
Thurmond denounced Rustin from the
floor of the Senate by declaring that the
leader of the March was a sexual pervert.
By this time Rustin had convinced the
supporters of the March that he could
accomplish it. As a result, Rustin managed
to keep his job and carry the March
through to its triumphant completion.
Permission from the Estate of Bayard
Rustin