History
Questions:
1. Discuss some of the reasons Roy Wilkins did not want Bayard Rustin involved with the March on Washington? What did he think would happen if Rustin was involved?
According to author Gary Younge, what was it about Rustin that made A. Philip Randolph risk his own reputation to defend Bayard against the accusations of Roy Wilkins?
2. Who is John D’Emilio? Why is qualified to speak on Rustin’s motives and thoughts?
What did D’Emilio mean when he said “Prejudice of another sort, still not named as such in mid-century America, had curtailed his opportunities and limited his effectiveness.”? (p. 2)
3. When it came to the 1963 March on Washington, Rustin wanted high participation numbers not militancy. Why do you believe he thought this was the best direction for the Civil Rights Movement at the time? Do you agree with his view? Explain.
4. What did activist Eleanor Holmes mean by the statement: “I’m sure there were some homophobes in the movement, but you knew how to behave when Strom Thurmond attacked.”? (p. 5)
In your opinion, what do you think Strom Thurmond hoped to accomplish in entering the photo of Rustin and Martin Luther King Jr. in the Congressional Record?
5. What does Alice Walker mean in regard to the obligation of “collect[ing] them again”? In your opinion, did the awarding of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rustin represent some of this ‘collecting’? Explain.
6. There’s an old expression about needing (and finding) the right person for the right job. After reading this article, what are some reasons you think Rustin was the right man for the right job?
How do you feel about Bayard Rustin after reading this piece? Do you agree with John D’Emilio that Rustin, may indeed, be a “lost prophet?”
