Biography
Bayard Rustin was a central strategist of nonviolent direct action in the U.S. civil rights movement, known for building coalitions, training activists, and organizing large-scale demonstrations—most famously as the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. A committed pacifist, his activism repeatedly led to arrest and imprisonment: during World War II he was convicted as a conscientious objector who refused induction and served roughly two years in federal prison; in 1947 he helped lead the Journey of Reconciliation (an early Freedom Ride) and in 1949 served 22 days on a North Carolina chain gang for violating segregation laws; and in 1953 he was arrested on a California “morals” charge, was sentenced to 60 days and served 50 days, and was thereafter often forced into behind-the-scenes roles despite his continuing influence.
The historical article recalls Bayard Rustin’s Second World War draft-resistance imprisonment in Kentucky. This is background on an existing imprisonment, not another arrest or an exact custody endpoint. Workers World, October 5, 2006, vol.48 no.39, original PDF page 10. Source: https://www.workers.org/pdf/2006/ww100506.pdf#page=10
