Catherine Quillman (ACG ’11) presents her walking tour and exhibit on Bayard Rustin, one of the civil rights movement’s greatest heroes and a native of West Chester at the Chester County Historical Society (225 N. High Street, West Chester, PA 19380). This tour is currently open now and will occur Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fore more information, call 610-692-4800.
Bayard Rustin (March 17, 1912 – August 24, 1987), whose 100th birthday would have been March 2012, was an American leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, pacifism and non-violence, and gay rights. The historical society has planned several events around the exhibit, including a walking tour of Rustin sites in West Chester, and a showing of the documentary film about Rustin, “Brother Outsider.” See below for more information. “Bayard Rustin: Local Roots” will be on exhibit at the Chester County Historical Society through the end of May. A permanent version of the exhibit will be installed at the Charles Melton Community Center in West Chester.
SAVE THE DATES ~ Upcoming Bayard Rustin Commemorative Events
Learn facts about Rustin that you never knew! Rustin’s pioneer activism included going to jail for sitting with white people in buses years before Rosa Parks was arrested, taught the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. about nonviolence, and being the chief organizer of the historic 1963 civil rights march on Washington. Yet Rustin never moved to the forefront of fame in the movement during his lifetime, in part because he was labeled as a young member of the communist party in America and later he acknowledges his homosexuality.
Saturday, May 5 ~ Book Signing with Sarah Wesley and Catherine Quillman Walking the East End: A Historic African-American Community in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Chester County Historical Society
Saturday, May 12 ~ Walking Tour featuring Bayard Rustin sites and historically black-owned businesses and landmarks with Wesley and Quillman, starting at the Charles A. Melton Arts and Education Center located at 501 E. Miner Street, West Chester (organized by Sarah Wesley and Catherine Quillman).
Free and open to the public. Please rsvp@chestercohistorical.org or 610-692-4800 ChesterCoHistorical.org
Saturday, May 19 ~ Brother Outsider documentary showing and discussion panel (RSVP required), Chester County Historical Society
Saturday, June 9 ~ Walking Tour of the East End and historically black neighborhoods by Penny Washington, starting at the Charles A. Melton Arts and Education Center at 501 E. Miner Street, West Chester
The Rustin exhibit is supported by the following: The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Heritage Philadelphia Program, The Philadelphia Foundation, Philadelphia Gay News, Charles A. Melton Center, Rustin Foundation, West Chester Area Education Foundation, Queen of Hearts Catering
