Bayard Rustin was a fascinating figure. I’d heard the name but didn’t know exactly who he was when I went to work for the NYC Department of Ed. I was sent to discuss a position at Washington Irving and Bayard Rustin HS. Well, I knew who Irving was, and I heard the name Bayard Rustin and knew he was involved in Civil Rights, but I learned more then about Rustin, Dewitt Clinton, Phillip Randolph, and Kosciuszko working for the DOE. So, I was excited to see Rustin. And I found it a credible and interesting film. And there is no doubt in my mind that Colman Domingo earned an Oscar every bit as much as the other nominees. And I am a fan of films that don’t insist on running overwhelmingly long, but this is one case where I do wish the film had been longer. That Wolfe could have teased out a bit more of the tension in Rustin’s life. Back then particularly, when Rustin asked, ‘do you hate me because i’m gay or because i’m a socialist?’ the answer he got was ‘YES’. And just an fyi, guy fought to desegregate the US military, protect the rights of interred Americans of Japanese descent, got his ass kicked by Nashville police for pulling his own Rosa Parks, was a conscientious observer, massive union organizer etc. Those chain reactions that led Oppenheimer to his place in history got ample coverage in OPP, wish Rustin had got the same – his civil rights work is legion, but dude did so much else, even supporting Israel and advocating on behalf of Soviet jews. Later in life he waded deep into gay rights. But to make his story even more fascinating, he went kind of neo-con especially as an anti communist. I’ll sit in a theater all day to watch that film.
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