Colman Domingo is nominated for an Academy Award™ for his portrayal of civil rights activist and strategist Bayard Rustin in the biopic RUSTIN. This film and Bayard Rustin's life are the inspiration for our conversation with Robert Raben around organizing for justice and freedom, and reclaiming the hidden history of the foot soldiers of the movement.

Robert Raben, who grew up in the South, is founder of the March on Washington Film Festival, and the Raben Group, a strategic communications firm based in Washington, DC.

Directed by George C. Wolfe, RUSTIN tells the story of activist and organizer Bayard Rustin, the architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington. Bayard Rustin  challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or whom he desired. He clashed with his contemporaries and inner circle leaders of the civil rights movement, and energized youth to get involved in making change in America. 

LANGUAGE Content: The word "horseshit" occurs at approximately 50:41

Download the transcript for Episode 47

PLEASE NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS ARE GENERATED USING A COMBINATION OF SPEECH RECOGNITION SOFTWARE AND HUMAN TRANSCRIBERS, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS.

0:08 - Baryard Rustin, forgotten Civil Rights leader

5:58 - Untold and Mis-told Stories

12:01 - Narrative film and social change

19:41 - Strategy and change in the Civil Rights Movement

30:48 BREAK

31:24 - American changemakers and revolutionary heroes (of social justice)

35:16 - Bayard Rustin, LGBTQ identity and social change

45:09 - Policy, legislation and social change

51:52 - We don't have a shared story

55:11 - Role of arts in social justice

1:00:05 - Race, Culture, and Storytelling

1:10:06 - Lightning Round

1:10:52 - Honoring Fannie Lou Hamer

1:14:00 - Closing (Stream, Like, Subscribe, Share)

1:15:54 - Disclaimer

STAY ENGAGED with HISTORICAL DRAMA WITH THE BOSTON SISTERS

SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform

LISTEN to past past podcasts and bonus episodes

SIGN UP for our mailing list

SUPPORT this podcast on Spotify or SHOP THE PODCAST on our affiliate bookstore

Thank you for listening!