Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 13 wins & 66 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFellow Civil Rights leader Julian Bond often quoted Bayard Rustin as joking that "Martin Luther King couldn't organize vampires to go to a bloodbath," meaning that despite King's enormous gifts as a leader and an orator, King needed Rustin's and others' help with the organizational aspects of the movement.
- GoofsSeveral times, there is a reference to the subway in DC. The subway system there wasn't built until 1976.
- Quotes
Bayard Rustin: On the day that I was born black, I was also born a homosexual. They either believe in freedom and justice for all, or they do not.
- ConnectionsFeatured in CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley: Episode #45.56 (2023)
- SoundtracksShotgun
Written by Junior Walker (as Autry DeWalt)
Performed by Jr. Walker and the All Stars (as Junior Walker and the Allstars)
Courtesy of Motown/Universal
Featured review
Domingo's Galvanizing Work Elevates an Episodic Historical Film
I had no idea who Bayard Rustin was before this 2023 historical film, but now I know he was the primary orchestrator of the 1963 March on Washington, a peaceful protest attended by over 250,000 people and made mythic by Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Aml Ameen does a fine job capturing King's quiet assurance and fiery rhetoric, but the film is elevated by Colman Domingo's galvanizing performance in the title role. His fearless turn brings heart and soul to an essential figure in the civil rights movement hidden away because of not only his previous Communist ties but his openness as a gay man years before Stonewall. Directed by George C. Wolfe, the film itself is not quite as strong as Domingo's work because the multitude of key players flattens the storyline somewhat and makes even the march Itself feel a bit episodic. At the same time, Wolfe doesn't overreach by making this a full blown biography and smartly focuses on two incidents prior to the planning of the unprecedented protest. For that key reason as well as Domingo, the movie is essential viewing.
helpful•172
- EUyeshima
- Nov 21, 2023
- How long is Rustin?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 46 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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