By DaVante Montgomery, MSU FCU

On October 29,2023, I was watching the news, as I usually do, and there was a piece on CBS Sunday Morning called “Bayard Rustin: The Man Who Transformed the Civil Rights Movement”. You can see the video here.

As I became fully focused on the piece, it was shared that Bayard Rustin was gay. As a proud Black, gay man, I was shocked I had never heard of him. It was as if his history had been hidden. This stoked my curiosity. I shortly after watched the movie Rustin and began to take in everything I could to learn more about him.

This changed my life.

You see growing up in the church I had a love/hate relationship with myself. I was constantly hearing gay people were going to hell, and gay people were an abomination. So, it took time for me, at 19 to come out to my mother. This was only after going to college and finding people that I could live my truth with. I learned about our similarities as Rustin’s grandmother was a Quaker who taught him nonviolence and my grandma was similar in her messaging. She taught me how to go to people peacefully, how to speak with people in love so they can FEEL my authenticity.

And I started to think about what a different time Bayard lived in. Not only was homophobia even more rampant, but it was also against the law. Yet, Rustin never lost his way. He was jailed 20 times and never let that distract him from his purpose. Rustin was fired, because in those times they didn’t want aspects of his personal life to derail the message of civil rights. And yet he kept on.

There were four themes that I think of with Bayard Rustin:

1. Strategist
2. Visionary
3. Organizer
4. Charismatic

In only two months, he organized the March on Washington. It was hoped to bring 100,000 marchers to the Capital. Thanks to Rustin, 250,000 people from across the country attended and inspired words that inspire dreams today. This March was a key catalyst to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voters Rights Act of 1965, both of which increased the opportunities for voices to be heard. All the while because of his sexual orientation, Bayard Rustin was on the outside looking in, but he believed in lifting up ALL in the community.

He truly was an American unsung hero. He was someone who believed in pacifism and peaceful marching. For me it feels like when we look at the building, what we see is the company on the front, but the person behind it was the architect and the designer. This is Rustin to me.

He was a multifaceted person; he released an album and loved art. It wasn’t just about organizing marches, he was a true renaissance man, tapping into the beauty of life. It all rounded up, art is abstract, and music is the universal language of people. He sought the unity of people by using power and privilege to ensure all are treated equally.

So why did this change my life? His story makes me want to say, what can I do? How can I be more unafraid?

As an introvert, the idea that I don’t have to be the center of attention to get the results is a big piece to me. We don’t often think about someone in the background who was the driving force behind it. The manager often gets accolades, but the team really pushed forward for the results. Bayard fought so hard for his people, to lift up ALL of the community, all the while with homophobia was such a huge issue.

It is hard to put into words what watching the movie on Rustin meant to me. It gave me a feeling that I can do everything, despite my upbringing or what I look like, I can still affect change!

As I take the lessons learned while reflecting on what Bayard Rustin accomplished and what his legacy was, I now describe myself as someone who is on a quest to lift people up. Bayard helped me be more unapologetic about who I am and what I stand for.
I always want to propel people to the next level, to ask how can I be of service? How can I help? Pouring into people with love, and in the credit union way of people helping people. Serving members genuinely creates loyalty and provides them the opportunity to show up as their authentic selves.

This approach takes a certain amount of fearlessness, but with the legacy of Bayard Rustin in mind, it is a purpose-filled work I embark on every day. From being a leader for our The Culture of Finances program, to spending time in conversation with those whose voices deserve to be heard, every day I wake up energized to impact others. May we find those that inspire us, that get us to think inward on who we are, what is our truth, and how can we show up in a space of love.