#7564 Phil Zwickler Papers [ca. 1983-1990]

portrait of Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin interview

Zwickler interviewed civil rights activist Bayard Rustin outside the U.S. Supreme Courthouse in Manhattan days after the 1986 Supreme Court decision upholding the Georgia sodomy laws. Rustin reflects that "all social progress is difficult... so one has to be patient." He talks about his view of human rights, saying "We are all one, and if we don't know it, we'll learn it the hard way." In a voice-over, Zwickler says:

'I can hear the voices of the people I miss, who made a deep and lasting impression on me, who are no longer here. And I hear them telling me to keep involved in the struggle, in the fight. One of those people is Bayard Rustin, an out gay man who was one of the leaders of the civil rights movement. I only met him once but his presence has never left me.'

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Introduction

Samples from the collection

Guide to the collection


with his art, Zwickler gave voice to those concerned with human dignity and civil rights

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