Bayard Rustin, shown here with Dr. King, was one of most important figures in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s. He planned the March on Washington in 1963, a pivotal event in the struggle for equal rights in America, and he was a major influence on Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence.
Rustin was openly gay at a time when that was almost unheard of. The enemies of the civil rights movement (especially Strom Thurmond) used Rustin’s homosexuality as a weapon against King, and Rustin was forced into a background role to help save the movement. (via Bobster855 on Flickr)
