Converted to EAD3 : Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Version 3 : Release: 1.1.1 : Release Date: 2019-12-16. Validating against latest version of schema.
Contact information: https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/mm93077373
Collection material in English
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
The papers of Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist and author, were presented to the Library of Congress between 1988 and 1994 as a bequest from Rustin via Walter Naegle, executor of Rustin's estate.
The papers of Bayard Rustin were arranged and described by Kathleen M. Dondanville with the assistance of Joseph K. Brooks in 1992. Additional material received in 1994 was incorporated into the collection in 1997 by Joseph K. Brooks. The finding aid was updated in 2024 by Maria Farmer as part of a division-wide remediation project by the Inclusive Description Working Group.
A description of the Rustin Papers appears in
Photographs have been transferred to the Library's Prints and Photographs Division where they are identified as part of these papers.
Researchers using the papers of Bayard Rustin may wish to examine the Manuscript Division's related holdings. These include the papers of A. Philip Randolph, Kenneth Bancroft Clark, Roy Wilkins, and the records of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Urban League, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and other civil rights organizations.
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Bayard Rustin is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
The papers of Bayard Rustin are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
University Publications of America microfilmed the Bayard Rustin Papers before the collection was delivered to the Library of Congress and arranged by the Manuscript Division. A copy of this commercial microfilm edition is available for research use in the Manuscript Reading Room. A register of the microfilm is also available. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or reel number, Bayard Rustin Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The papers of
Rustin's papers document his philosophy and strategy for conducting passive resistance
movements and securing civil rights for African Americans. Correspondence, topical
files, and writings reflect his adherence to three basic principles: a belief that
racial progress could be achieved only in an integrated framework; a dedication to the
tactics of nonviolence; and a conviction that broad, permanent change could be
accomplished only through coalition politics. Whether because of his Quaker beliefs, his
socialism, or his affiliation with organized labor, Rustin always aimed at broader
social objectives than those sought by most leaders of the civil rights movement. Civil
rights for Black Americans, he argued, could be secured only as a part and consequence
of wider and deeper social reform in the
The General
Correspondence series (1942-1987), consisting of incoming and outgoing
correspondence between Rustin and social activists, political organizations, labor
unions, friends, and colleagues, relates primarily to Rustin's speaking engagements,
public appearances, and writings and contemporary social issues. Also present are
numerous letters from friends and the public bestowing congratulations for Rustin's
success in helping organize the 1963 March on
Correspondence reflecting Rustin's strategy for attaining civil rights for Blacks is
found scattered throughout the series. Most notable is correspondence between Rustin and
African Americans, who, despite the passage of major civil rights legislation, were
frustrated by the realization that unemployment among Black youth was still high, Black
children still attended segregated schools, and low income communities were more crowded
than ever. In these letters, Rustin articulates and defends his strategy against the
militant, separatist, and nationalistic approach of leaders such as
Documentation of Rustin's early struggles as a Quaker activist and an advocate for
international human rights can also be found in the correspondence file. Included are
letters from
Frequent correspondents in the General Correspondence series not mentioned previously include
The greatest concentration of material in the Rustin Papers is found in the Subject File (1942-1987),
which contains a large segment of records relating to Rustin's accomplishments in the
civil rights movement during the 1960s. Among the topics covered is Rustin's role as
deputy director of the 1963 March on
Other material documenting the civil rights movement includes items relating to Rustin's
position as race relations director for the
Other extensive civil rights topics cover Rustin's work with Randolph on the Freedom Budget, a ten-year program conceived by Randolph as a method of abolishing poverty in the United States, and other marches organized by Rustin, including the Prayer Pilgrimage to Washington in 1957 and the 1964 marches for integrated schools. Also included are comprehensive files documenting the Mobilization in Support of the Poor People's Campaign.
The Subject File also
documents Rustin's struggle to improve relations between African Americans and American
Jews and
Material pertaining to Rustin's work with international human rights groups also makes
up a significant portion of the Subject File. Of particular interest is material documenting his assistance
to Indochinese refugees in
The Subject File also
contains material relating to a number of Rustin's other endeavors, including the
The Speeches and Writings file (1942-1987) consists largely of final drafts and printed versions of articles, reports, lectures, speeches, book reviews, eulogies, and other writings by Rustin. Rough drafts and notes can also be found. Rustin's orations and writings generally cover broad issues pertaining to the civil rights movement, including such topics as integration, racism, the alienation of Black youth, Black separatism, the race riots of the 1960s, and the 1963 march on Washington. Articles and speeches regarding Randolph's life and times are found scattered throughout the series. The file also contains copies of Rustin's columns published in the
Notable writings include articles from the 1940s and 1950s, many unpublished, describing
the early civil rights movement in the
Prominent correspondents in the Rustin Papers, whose letters are primarily in the Subject File, include
An addition to the Rustin
Papers, processed in 1997, complements material in the General Correspondence,
Subject File, and Speeches and Writings
File. Some of the additional correspondence is with family members. Other files
in the addition document Rustin's working relationship with
The Oversize series consists
of a scroll containing signatures of supporters of the 1963 march on
The collection is arranged in five series:
Incoming and outgoing correspondence and attached material exchanged between Rustin and social, political, and labor organizations, colleagues, friends, and the public.
Arranged chronologically.
Correspondence, telegrams, memoranda, reports and drafts, agendas, schedules, financial records, notes, lists, press releases, newsletters, newspaper clippings, fliers and handouts, printed material, and other miscellaneous material relating to Rustin's endeavors as a civil and human rights activist.
Arranged alphabetically by name of person or organization, topic, or type of material, and therein chronologically.
Drafts, copies, and printed versions of articles, book reviews, congressional testimony, eulogies, interviews, lectures, newspaper columns, notes, press releases, reports, speeches, and miscellaneous writings by Rustin. Related correspondence and memoranda are included.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material and therein chronologically.
Correspondence, memoranda, reports, agendas, notes, press releases, newsletters, clippings, brochures, printed matter, and miscellaneous material.
Arranged alphabetically by name of person or organization, topic, or type of material, and therein chronologically.
Oversize material consisting of a scroll with signature.
Organized according to the series, folder, and box from which the item was removed.