Everyone knows the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the speech he gave 60 years ago today that rang out over Washington D.C. Not as many people know about Bayard Rustin.
The March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963, while a stunning showcase for Dr. King’s legendary oratory powers, was organized by Rustin and A. Phillip Randolph Jr. — two leaders in the civil rights movement, who still haven’t been given their due in mainstream culture. That’s starting to change this year with the release of Netflix’s Rustin, a biopic starring Colman Domingo (Euphoria and the upcoming The Color Purple) as the influential leader. It’s directed by George C. Wolfe (who is, like both Rustin and Domingo, a gay Black man). And the film’s executive producers include former Washington residents Barack and Michelle Obama, through their Higher Ground productions.
