The life of Baynard Rustin, a civil rights activist who faced not only racism but also homophobia, will be highlighted when Cal State San Bernardino’s DEI Subcommittee for Alumni and Community Engagement hosts a special screening of the award-winning film, “Rustin.”
The film will be shown at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, in the Santos Manuel Student Union South Theatre. A discussion of Rustin’s life, led by CSUSB assistant professor of history Marc A. Robinson, will follow the film. The screening is free and open to the public.
Register at the Alumni Relations webpage to attend.
The film provides a unique perspective on the famous 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom by illuminating Rustin’s story and the critical role he played in orchestrating the historic march. Rustin, advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., dedicated his life to the quest for racial equality, human rights and worldwide democracy.
However, as an openly gay Black man, he had been all but erased from the civil rights movement he helped build, until recently. In 2013, Rustin, who died in 1987 at the age of 75, was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. “Rustin” is produced by Higher Ground Productions, founded by the former president and his wife, Michelle.
The discussion led by Robinson will include a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Robinson is the author of “Washington State Rising: Black Power on Campus in the Pacific Northwest,” which charts the rise of Black student activism on Washington campuses and the impact their actions created for future generations.
