Changes

'''Bayard Rustin''' (March 17, 1912 – August 24, 1987) was a lifelong socialist, one-time Communist, homosexual activist, and personal secretary to the Reverend Dr. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] He was instrumental in the United States' civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, and organized the 1964 "March on Washington."

'''Bayard Rustin''' (March 17, 1912 – August 24, 1987) was a lifelong socialist, one-time Communist, homosexual activist, and personal secretary to the Reverend Dr. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] He was instrumental in the United States' civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, and organized the 1964 "March on Washington."

==Early Life==

==Early life==

Born into a Quaker family, Rustin had a comfortable childhood in West Chester, Pennsylvania. In the 1930s he dropped out of West Chester State College, moving to Harlem, where he sang in local clubs with African American folk artists Huddie Ledbetter and Josh White,<ref>[http://www.congressofracialequality.org/bayard-rustin.html Bayard Rustin (1910-1987): Civil Rights Leader & Political Organizer], Congress of Racial Equality</ref> a loyal Stalinist.<ref>During the [[Nazi-Soviet pact]], "White ... lent his talents ... to the Almanac Singers' anti-draft album, ''Songs for John Doe'' (May, 1941).... On June 22, 1941, Hitler invaded Soviet Russia, and the Hitler-Stalin pact-inspired anti-militarism of ''Songs for John Doe'' was forgotten." [http://www.culturalequity.org/alanlomax/ce_alanlomax_profile_josh_white.php Josh White], culturalequity.org</ref>

Born into a Quaker family, Rustin had a comfortable childhood in West Chester, Pennsylvania. In the 1930s he dropped out of West Chester State College, moving to Harlem, where he sang in local clubs with African American folk artists Huddie Ledbetter and Josh White,<ref>[http://www.congressofracialequality.org/bayard-rustin.html Bayard Rustin (1910-1987): Civil Rights Leader & Political Organizer], Congress of Racial Equality</ref> a loyal Stalinist.<ref>During the [[Nazi-Soviet pact]], "White ... lent his talents ... to the Almanac Singers' anti-draft album, ''Songs for John Doe'' (May, 1941).... On June 22, 1941, Hitler invaded Soviet Russia, and the Hitler-Stalin pact-inspired anti-militarism of ''Songs for John Doe'' was forgotten." [http://www.culturalequity.org/alanlomax/ce_alanlomax_profile_josh_white.php Josh White], culturalequity.org</ref>

In 1955, Rustin became personal secretary to the Reverend Dr. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] The following year. he introduced King to underground Communist [[Stanley Levison]], who would become King's "most influential white counselor."<ref>David J. Garrow, "[http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/07/the-fbi-and-martin-luther-king/302537/ The FBI and Martin Luther King]," ''The Atlantic'', July/August 2002</ref> Levison was a contact of high-ranking KGB agent Victor Lessiovsky, who was in New York under cover as personal assistant to United Nations General Secretary U Thant.<ref>John Barron, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=mNFVfqDy960C&q=%22victor+lessiovsky%22#v=snippet&q=%22victor%20lessiovsky%22&f=false Operation Solo: The FBI's Man in the Kremlin]'' (Regnery Publishing, 2013) ISBN 1621570991</ref> Lessiovsky specialized in recruiting "Third World" peoples as Soviet assets.<ref>Samuel Francis, "[http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/2003/January/27/1/magazine/article/10826341/ Comrade King?]," ''Chronicles'', December 2, 2002</ref> In 1957, Rustin renewed his relationship with the Communist Party, when he attended the CPUSA's 16th National Party Congress by invitation.<ref>John D'Emilio, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=C1xJ5ONWltYC Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin]'' (Simon and Schuster, 2003) ISBN 0684827808, p. 251</ref>

In 1955, Rustin became personal secretary to the Reverend Dr. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] The following year. he introduced King to underground Communist [[Stanley Levison]], who would become King's "most influential white counselor."<ref>David J. Garrow, "[http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2002/07/the-fbi-and-martin-luther-king/302537/ The FBI and Martin Luther King]," ''The Atlantic'', July/August 2002</ref> Levison was a contact of high-ranking KGB agent Victor Lessiovsky, who was in New York under cover as personal assistant to United Nations General Secretary U Thant.<ref>John Barron, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=mNFVfqDy960C&q=%22victor+lessiovsky%22#v=snippet&q=%22victor%20lessiovsky%22&f=false Operation Solo: The FBI's Man in the Kremlin]'' (Regnery Publishing, 2013) ISBN 1621570991</ref> Lessiovsky specialized in recruiting "Third World" peoples as Soviet assets.<ref>Samuel Francis, "[http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/2003/January/27/1/magazine/article/10826341/ Comrade King?]," ''Chronicles'', December 2, 2002</ref> In 1957, Rustin renewed his relationship with the Communist Party, when he attended the CPUSA's 16th National Party Congress by invitation.<ref>John D'Emilio, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=C1xJ5ONWltYC Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin]'' (Simon and Schuster, 2003) ISBN 0684827808, p. 251</ref>

During the 1960's Rustin was a member<ref>{{cite book|last1=Forman|first1=James|title=The Making of Black Revolutionaries|date=1972|publisher=University of Washington Press|pages=220}}</ref> of the [[League for Industrial Democracy]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Carson|first1=Clayborne|title=In Struggle: SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s|date=1981|publisher=[[Harvard University]] Press|pages=29}}</ref>. He would remain a member for years, and became vice president during the 1980's<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/WorkersRightsEastAndWestAComparativeStudyOfTradeUnionAnd|last1=Karatnycky|first1=Adrian|last2=Motyl|first2=Alexander J.|last3=Sturmthal|first3=Adolph|title=Workers' rights, East and West : a comparative study of trade union and workers' rights in Western democracies and Eastern Europe |date=1980|publisher=Transaction Publishing / [[League for Industrial Democracy]]|pages=150}}</ref>.

During the 1960's Rustin was a member<ref>{{cite book|last1=Forman|first1=James|title=The Making of Black Revolutionaries|date=1972|publisher=University of Washington Press|pages=220}}</ref> of the [[League for Industrial Democracy]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Carson|first1=Clayborne|title=In Struggle: SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s|date=1981|publisher=[[Harvard University]] Press|pages=29}}</ref> He would remain a member for years, and became vice president during the 1980's.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/WorkersRightsEastAndWestAComparativeStudyOfTradeUnionAnd|last1=Karatnycky|first1=Adrian|last2=Motyl|first2=Alexander J.|last3=Sturmthal|first3=Adolph|title=Workers' rights, East and West : a comparative study of trade union and workers' rights in Western democracies and Eastern Europe |date=1980|publisher=Transaction Publishing / [[League for Industrial Democracy]]|pages=150}}</ref>

Rustin and [[Tom Kahn]] were important organizers for the 1963 March on Washington.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/01/nyregion/tom-kahn-leader-in-labor-and-rights-movements-was-53.html Tom Kahn, Leader In Labor and Rights Movements, Was 53]</ref>

Rustin and [[Tom Kahn]] were important organizers for the 1963 March on Washington.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/01/nyregion/tom-kahn-leader-in-labor-and-rights-movements-was-53.html Tom Kahn, Leader In Labor and Rights Movements, Was 53]</ref>

==FBI Investigation==

==FBI Investigation==

A secret Federal Bureau of Investigation memorandum reported that "reliable information" (FBI code for electronic surveillance) revealed that CPUSA National Secretary Benjamin Davis informed a meeting of the CPUSA National Committee in 1965 that he was maintaining liaison with Rustin.<ref> [https://vault.fbi.gov/bayard-rustin/bayard-rustin-part-01-of-07 FBI file: Bayard Rustin, Part 1], p. 1.</ref>

A secret Federal Bureau of Investigation memorandum reported that "reliable information" (FBI code for electronic surveillance) revealed that CPUSA National Secretary Benjamin Davis informed a meeting of the CPUSA National Committee in 1965 that he was maintaining liaison with Rustin.<ref>[https://vault.fbi.gov/bayard-rustin/bayard-rustin-part-01-of-07 FBI file: Bayard Rustin, Part 1], p. 1.</ref>

==References==

==References==