In The Life with Dante Harris

LGBTQ Black History: Bayard Rustin


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In this powerful episode of In The Life with Dante Harris, we explore the life, leadership, and legacy of Bayard Rustin — the master strategist behind the 1963 March on Washington and one of the most influential yet underrecognized architects of the Civil Rights Movement.

An openly gay Black man navigating mid-20th-century America, Rustin lived at the intersection of identity, activism, and strategy long before the word “intersectionality” entered public conversation. While others stood at the podium, Rustin built the stage.

This episode dives deep into:

• His Quaker upbringing and commitment to nonviolence • His mentorship of Martin Luther King Jr. • The cost of living openly as a gay man during the Civil Rights era • The March on Washington and the discipline behind the dream • The shift from protest to policy and economic justice • What his life teaches us about authenticity, strategy, and integrated identity

More than a history lesson, this is a motivational reflection on what it means to live fully — without fragmentation — while building something that outlives you.

If you’ve ever felt powerful yet precarious… necessary yet questioned… this episode is for you.

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In The Life with Dante HarrisBy Dante Harris