This acclaimed middle grade biography of Black civil rights leader and gay man Bayard Rustin has been on multiple “best of the year” lists, and with good reason. It offers a readable and comprehensive look at Rustin’s life from childhood onward, also providing useful background on civil rights, the pacifist movement, and other parts of history that young readers might not yet be familiar with. It gives us an intersectional look at his Black and gay identities, and how, while he was “confident in his sexual identity,” others in the civil rights movement were less happy to have a out gay man among them. The book explores the origins of Rustin’s attitudes and actions and places his importance in the context of larger social movements and changes. Whether readers are completely unfamiliar with Rustin, or have some knowledge of him from the growing number of picture book biographies, they will find their view of him expanded and enriched.
Backmatter includes “Things to Think About,” a list of important events in Rustin’s life, endnotes, and a bibliography. Highly recommended.
