By Gary A. Johnson – Publisher (Black Men In America.com)

Bayard Rustin, was a phenomenal American.  He was also the Chief Architect of the 1963 March on Washington that cemented Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a household name in America.  Rustin was a key advisor to Dr. King.  Why is Bayard Rustin a little known “Black History Fact?”  Probably because he was an openly gay Black man in the 1960’s, who knew that he had to remain in the background and focus on the mission of bringing the American government’s attention and resources to providing racial equality, better education, human rights, integration, and human rights for all citizens.  Bayard Rustin challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or who he desired. And he did not back down. He made history, and in turn, he was forgotten.  He was well aware that he would be a footnote in the civil rights movement that he helped build.

Two of the Executive Producers of this film are Barack and Michelle Obama.   Produced by Academy award winner Bruce Cohen, Higher Ground’s Tonia Davis and George C. Wolfe, the film features an all-star cast including Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Jeffrey Wright and Audra McDonald.

Left to Right:  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bayard Rustin in 1963