The Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice has long held its namesake in the highest regard. As chief organizer of the March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs, a leader of the Freedom Rides, and a longtime adviser to Martin Luther King, Jr., Rustin is without a doubt one of the most consequential figures of the Civil Rights Movement. However, for decades his legacy has been largely left out of popular history narratives of the movement.

This injustice is primarily due to his intersectional identity as a gay, Black man. Being open about his homosexuality at the time was rare, and even among his counterparts in the Civil Rights Movement he faced discrimination.

“He never, never disavowed or denied who he loved and never ever stepped back from who he was,” said Robt Seda-Schreiber, founder and chief activist of the Rustin Center, and as a result, he was often forced from the spotlight. “He was absolutely purposely left out.”

Within both the public’s consciousness and the historical record, Rustin’s contributions have often been overlooked. Seda-Schreiber, a longtime admirer of Rustin’s, realized that part of the awareness gap resulted from there existing no comprehensive archive of Rustin’s papers and ephemera. Building an archive that made it easier for both historians and members of the public to learn about and be inspired by Rustin’s life became a goal of the Center.

While the Center’s primary work is in offering social justice and social service programs, not historical preservation and curation, Seda-Schreiber was compelled to assemble a team of individuals to bring the archive into being.

Aided by a $15,000 Action Grant from NJCH and a team of volunteers comprising faculty members, librarians, and students from a number of organizations including Swarthmore College and Princeton University, the Center has compiled an impressive archive of materials from Rustin’s life and work. The organization has worked with the full support of Rustin’s surviving partner, Walter Naegle, who is a board member emeritus of the Center.

The project includes a physical archive of Rustin artifacts and ephemera, which will be open to the public, as well as a digital repository of his papers and video library of individuals’ reflections about and experiences with Rustin, available to all online.

The project, set to open in 2023, is well-timed. More than three decades after his death in 1987, awareness of Rustin is getting a big boost. In addition to the archive, a number of popular media projects focusing on Rustin’s life are entering the market.

On September 30, 2023, the Center hosted a well-attended launch party for a new book, Bayard Rustin: A Legacy of Protest and Politics, edited by noted historian Michael G. Long. In addition, Netflix and Higher Ground Productions are bringing Rustin’s life to big and small screens with the November release of Rustin, a biopic starring Coleman Domingo as Rustin and directed by George C. Wolfe.

In conjunction with this rising tide, the Center has seen high interest in its project. Notably, it has recently been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer and on Our America, a documentary TV show airing on all national ABC affiliates and on Hulu.

Even after the initial tide of attention recedes, Seda-Schreiber said the Center will continue carrying his legacy far into the future.

“He was lost to history, and he was excised from the stories told because he was queer and wouldn’t disavow his identity,” said Seda-Schreiber. “We want to make sure he gets the respect and recognition he deserved.”