We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin
Brimner sets Rustin's personal story against the history of segregation in his time and focuses on his leadership role, largely unacknowledged, in the struggle for civil rights. On each page, the clearly written, informal text is accompanied by eloquently captioned archival photos that include disturbing images of racist violence, as well as stirring pictures of Rustin "in protest mode," passing out antiwar leaflets, advising Dr. Martin Luther King on peaceful protest, organizing the triumphant 1963 March on Washington, and more. A big part of Brimner's book is the great leader's work behind the scenes and the possible reasons why he has not received the attention he deserves—brief membership in Communist party and his imprisonment for peace activism in World War II. Rustin's gay identity gets only passing mention in a final author's note. Source notes and a bibliography will guide readers to more about the man and to his writings. Rochman, Hazel