| Abstract |
Looks at the life of Bayard Rustin, an organizer behind the scenes of the civil rights movement whose ideas influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. Rustin - grandson of a former slave - was a talented musician, writer, and committed activist and organizer who worked closely with such luminaries as Martin Luther King Jr. and A. Philip Randolph. He is responsible for introducing Gandhi's principles of nonviolent protest to many in the Civil Rights Movement, and was a backbone of the historic 1963 March on Washington. At the President's request, he counseled Lyndon Johnson on how best to handle the aftermath of King's assassination in 1968. In the 1980's, he counseled Lech Walesa on the use of nonviolent resistance. The reason you've probably never heard of him is because he was also gay. After being prosecuted for a homosexual encounter, he was deserted by many of the movement leaders. But he continued to work tirelessly and bravely behind the scenes, choosing obscurity for the sake of the movement. Obviously, Rustin is a complex biographical topic for the young adult audience, but Miller respects their intelligence and handles his material deftly. The book includes a timeline, citations of sources, a bibliography, and related web sites. In a clear, compelling narrative, Miller combines the life story of a great social activist with the history of the struggle for civil rights in the U.S. The politics are exciting, with details of the radical campaigns in the 1940s and 1950s, Rustin's impassioned call for nonviolent protest, and his role in organizing both the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington. Rustin, a global peace leader who traveled to India and many African countries, returned from abroad to serve on a prison chain gang for his activism. His personal story is just as moving as his political one: his homosexuality played a large role in his being banished from the limelight. The illusrations seem cramped, but the type is spacious, and readers will find chapter notes for direct quotes and a time line, as well as a bibliography a list of web sites they can use to find out more. |
