Strategist Bayard Rustin is born in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
At a Glance
- Date
- 17 March 1912
- Location
- West Chester, Pennsylvania
- Key people
- Bayard Rustin
- Category
- Civil Rights Movement
- Source
- Biographical records · Library of Congress
What It Meant Then
He brought Gandhian nonviolence to the movement and organized the 1963 March on Washington.
What It Means Now
Long marginalized as an openly gay man, Rustin is now honored as a master organizer.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Bayard Rustin Is Born.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/bayard-rustin-is-born/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Bayard Rustin Is Born. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/bayard-rustin-is-born/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Bayard Rustin Is Born.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/bayard-rustin-is-born/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.