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Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin Quotes

Activist

Bayard Rustin was a prominent African American civil rights activist who played a significant role in the American civil rights movement. He was a strategist and advisor to many civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. Rustin was a key figure in the organization of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one of the largest political protests in U.S. history. He was also a leader in the gay rights movement and advocated for nonviolent protest and civil disobedience.

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Famous Bayard Rustin Quotes

“If we desire a society in which men are brothers, then we must act towards one another with brotherhood. If we can build such a society, then we would have achieved the ultimate goal of human freedom.”

Ifs Men Humans Desire Goal Brother Ultimate Brotherhood Ultimate Goal Human Freedom

Book:I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin's Life in Letters

Source: I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin's Life in Letters

“If I do not fight bigotry wherever it is, bigotry is thereby strengthened. And to the degree that it is strengthened, it will, thereby, have the power to turn on me.”

Ifs Turns Fighting Degrees Bigotry Turn-on

Book:Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin

Source: Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin

“I would say except when I have been attacked the black community has seldom seen fit to even mention the gay aspect. And since when I have been attacked I have usually been defended by the black community, I would say that the black newspapers have played it very straight. If I was attacked they simply published that I was attacked, if I was defended they simply said I had been defended. But I don't think they have taken any effort at maligning me or maligning gays or making any effort to give to people anything that wasn't news.”

People Ifs Thinking Giving Has Beens Said Black Community Effort Taken Fit Gay News Aspect Newspapers Black Community Simply Said

Author:Bayard Rustin

“If people do not organize in the name of their interest, the world will not take them as being serious. And that is the chief reason that every person who is gay should join some gay organization. Because he must prove to the world that he cares about his own freedom.”

People Ifs World Should Persons Reason Care Names Interest Serious Gay Prove Organization Chiefs Organize

Author:Bayard Rustin

“People will never fight for your freedom if you have not given evidence that you are prepared to fight for it yourself.”

People Ifs Fighting Given Evidence Prepared Your Freedom

Author:Bayard Rustin

“If we want to do away with the injustice to gays it will not be done because we get rid of the injustice to gays. It will be done because we are forwarding the effort for the elimination of injustice to all. And we will win the rights for gays, or blacks, or Hispanics, or women within the context of whether we are fighting for all.”

Ifs Want Done Fighting Winning Effort Rights Gay Injustice Elimination We Will Win

Author:Bayard Rustin

“If anyone thinks they're going to get anything out of the Reagan administration for any particular group, they're wrong! You have to all combine and fight a head-on battle - in the name of justice and equality - and even that's going to be difficult. But if we let ourselves get separated so that we're working for gays or school children or the aged, we're in trouble.”

Ifs Thinking Children School Fighting Names Difficult Justice Trouble Groups Particular Gay Battle Administration Equality And Justice

Author:Bayard Rustin

“To be afraid is to behave as if the truth were not true.”

Author:Bayard Rustin

“Every indifference to prejudice is suicide because, if I don’t fight all bigotry, bigotry itself will be strengthened and, sooner or later, it will return on me.”

Ifs Fighting Return Prejudice Suicide Indifference Bigotry Sooner Or Later

Author:Bayard Rustin

“If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society. If we desire a society that is democratic, then democracy must become a means as well as an end.”

Ifs Wells Mean Ends Desire Process Democracy Building Democratic Discrimination This Society Desire To Achieve Democratic Rights

Author:Bayard Rustin

“We are all one - and if we don't know it, we will learn it the hard way.”

Ifs Knows Way Hard Hard Way

Author:Bayard Rustin

About the Author

Born: March 17, 1912
Died: August 24, 1987
Known for: Activist
Quotes: 82

Related Topics

African Americans Blacks Racism Race Civil Rights Gay Ifs Race Relations People Equality Fighting Humans Injustice Politics Believe Black Democracy Riots Thinking Civil Unrest

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Books & Sources

Down the Line: The Collected Writings of Bayard RustinRelated source material

Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard RustinRelated source material

I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin's Life in LettersRelated source material

Down the lineRelated source material

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