Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin
Thursday, January 10 at 7:30pm
The fourth season of Frameline at the Center opens with the powerful film Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (Audience Award Winner, Frameline27).
This stirring documentary combines the story of a unique American life with a rich and fascinating chronicle of civil rights struggles in America in the late twentieth century. Bayard Rustin, a leader in these struggles, has long dwelt in the shadow of Martin Luther King, Jr.; partly by his own design, and partly through the complicity of activists, politicians, and historians. This film gives Rustin his due, particularly in mapping his strategic and moral choices which continue to have impact on American political thought.
From his collegiate days as a music student enthralled by the ideals of Communism, to his imprisonment for conscientious objection to WWII, to his crucial role advising King, Jr. on the tactics of nonviolent resistance, Rustin is shown as a tireless and intrepid organizer determined to hold America to its promises. Rustin's life is also a study in the parallels between racism and homophobia: During the 1940s-50s, at the same time he was battling with Jim Crow, Rustin was remarkably open about being gay. Yet recognizing that his homosexuality presented a political liability, he made the decision to remain in the background for the sake of the movement, only to be sacrificed later by its leaders. Myriad testimonials from colleagues and friends, stirring songs of protest sung by Rustin himself, and electrifying archival footage round out this inspiring and long-overdue portrait of conscience in action.
Co-presented by:
Black Coalition on AIDS
GLBT Historical Society
Shanti L.I.F.E. Program
Kindly arrive early as seating is limited. Don’t miss this FREE screening of this powerful film and post-film panel discussion!