42 Bayard Rustin Quotes From The Inspiring Civil Rights Leader And Pacifist
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Bayard Rustin was the leader for civil rights, socialism, gay rights, and nonviolence.
Rustin worked with A. Philip Randolph on the advance of the Washington Movement in 1941. This movement was to press for a finish to racism in employment across.
Rustin was a gay man, and because of criticism over his sexuality, he was, behind the scenes, an influential advisor to major civil-rights leaders. By the '80s, he had become a noted public advocate who fought openly for gay rights, speaking at events as an associate degree activist and supporter of human rights.
Bayard Rustin left us a lot of refreshing quotes for us to be better people. Let's look at 42 inspiring Bayard Rustin quotes. If you like these, then you should definitely read our Civil Rights quotes and [activist quotes].
Bayard Rustin Quotes About Civil Rights
A handful of social activist Bayard Rustin quotes for you.
1. "If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society."
- Bayard Rustin.
2. "There is a strong moralistic strain in the civil rights movement that would remind us that power corrupts, forgetting that the absence of power also corrupts."
- Bayard Rustin.
3. "You have to join every other movement for the freedom of people."
- Bayard Rustin.
4. "Every indifference to prejudice is suicide because, if I don’t fight all bigotry, bigotry itself will be strengthened and, sooner or later, it will return on me."
- Bayard Rustin.
5. "When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him."
- Bayard Rustin.
6. "If we desire a society in which men are brothers, then we must act towards one another with brotherhood. If we can build such a society, then we would have achieved the ultimate goal of human freedom."
- Bayard Rustin.
7. "If we desire a society of peace, then we cannot achieve such a society through violence. If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society."
- Bayard Rustin.
8. "We demand that segregation be ended in every school district in the year 1963! We demand that we have effective civil rights legislation - no compromise, no filibuster - and that include public accommodations, decent housing, integrated education, FEPC and the right to vote."
- Bayard Rustin.
Bayard Rustin Quotes On Sexuality
You can find more about human views on sexuality in these Bayard Rustin quotes.
9. "I know now that for me sex must be sublimated if I am to live with myself and in this world longer."
- Bayard Rustin.
10. "What we need is a group of angelic troublemakers in every community."
- Bayard Rustin.
11. "If we desire a society that is democratic, then democracy must become a means as well as an end."
- Bayard Rustin.
12. "Well, I am here to say that some of the most skillful people in the world are unemployed [black people]. Because they have reared their own children."
- Bayard Rustin.
13. "An increasingly militant group has it in mind to demand now, with violence if necessary, the rights it has long been denied."
- Bayard Rustin.
14. "If we must die abroad for democracy we can't have,’ I heard a friend of mine say, 'then we might as well die right here, fighting for our rights."
- Bayard Rustin.
15. "To be afraid is to behave as if the truth were not true."
- Bayard Rustin.
16. "They have reared two or three generations of white children. And they are skilled with love and affection for children."
- Bayard Rustin.
Bayard Rustin Quotes About History
History is a choice you make. Read Bayard Rustin quotes on Martin Luther King Jr and more about history.
17. "It occurred to me shortly after that that it was an absolute necessity for me to declare homosexuality because if I didn't I was a part of the prejudice."
- Bayard Rustin.
18. "I was aiding and abetting the prejudice that was a part of the effort to destroy me."
- Bayard Rustin.
19. "We are indeed a house divided. But the division between race and race, class and class, will not be dissolved by massive infusions of brotherly sentiment."
- Bayard Rustin.
20. "It evokes contempt not because the values of brotherhood are wrong--they are more important than ever--but because it just does not correspond to the reality we see around us."
- Bayard Rustin.
21. "We are all one and if we don't know, we will learn it the hard way."
- Bayard Rustin.
22. "I believe in social dislocation and creative trouble."
- Bayard Rustin.
23. "The organizers and perpetrators of segregation are as much the enemy of America as any foreign invader."
- Bayard Rustin.
24. "People will never fight for your freedom if you have not given evidence that you are prepared to fight for it yourself."
- Bayard Rustin.
Bayard Rustin Quotes About Capitalism
Here are some of the best Bayard Rustin quotes on the topic of capitalism.
25. "The barometer for judging the character of people, in regard human rights, is now those who consider themselves gay, homosexual, lesbian."
- Bayard Rustin.
26. "The judgment as to whether you can trust the future, the social advancement - depending on people - will be judged on where they come out on that question."
- Bayard Rustin.
27. "When you're wrong, you're wrong. But when you're right, you're wrong anyhow."
- Bayard Rustin.
28. "Both morally and practically, segregation is to me a basic injustice. Since I believe it to be so, I must attempt to remove it."
- Bayard Rustin.
29. "Let us be enraged about injustice, but let us not be destroyed by it."
- Bayard Rustin.
30. "And we will win the rights for gays, or blacks, or Hispanics, or women within the context of whether we are fighting for all."
- Bayard Rustin.
31. "The real radical is that person who has a vision of equality and is willing to do those things that will bring reality closer to that vision."
- Bayard Rustin.
32. "The only weapon we have is our bodies, and we need to tuck them in places so wheels don't turn."
- Bayard Rustin.
Verified Bayard Rustin Quotes
Here are some essential Bayard Rustin quotes to conclude.
35. "It wasn't the Harry Belafontes and the greats from Hollywood that made the march. What made the march was that black people voted that day with their feet."
- Bayard Rustin.
36. "Martin Luther King, with whom I worked very closely, became very distressed when a number of the ministers working for him wanted him to dismiss me from his staff because of my homosexuality."
- Bayard Rustin.
37. "My activism did not spring from my being gay, or, for that matter, from my being black. Rather, it is rooted fundamentally in my Quaker upbringing and the values that were instilled in me by my grandparents who reared me."
- Bayard Rustin.
38. "Since Israel is a democratic state surrounded by essentially undemocratic states which have sworn her destruction, those interested in democracy everywhere must support Israel's existence."
- Bayard Rustin.
39. "Surely, I must at all times attempt to obey the law of the state. But when the will of God and the will of the state conflict, I am compelled to follow the will of God."
- Bayard Rustin.
40. "Blacks are in every segment of society and there are laws that help to protect them from racial discrimination."
- Bayard Rustin.
42. "God does not require us to achieve any of the good tasks that humanity must pursue. What God requires of us is that we not stop trying."
- Bayard Rustin.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 42 Bayard Rustin quotes then why not take a look at Stokely Carmichael quotes, or 'Hidden Figures' quotes.
Second Image credit: okanozdemir / Shutterstock.com
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Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Accounting and Finance, Master of Business Administration
Divya RaghavBachelor of Commerce specializing in Accounting and Finance, Master of Business Administration
With a diverse range of experience in finance, administration, and operations, Divya is a diligent worker known for her attention to detail. Born and raised in Bangalore, she completed her Bachelor's in Commerce from Christ University and is now pursuing an MBA at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Bangalore. Along with her professional pursuits, Divya has a passion for baking, dancing, and writing content. She is also an avid animal lover who dedicates her time to volunteering for animal welfare causes.
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