Bayard Rustin: A Legacy of Protest and Politics by Michael G. Long

Author:Michael G. Long [Long, Michael G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781479818518
Publisher: NYU Press
Published: 2023-09-26T07:00:00+00:00

Responses

Rustin sought to respond to the punitive system in a way that was neither “servile” nor “recalcitrant.”14 Drawing from his moral principles, he decided to model just and peaceable alternatives that encouraged trust, creativity, and respect for self and others.

After his fellow inmates stole his writing and hygiene supplies, he announced that he would no longer lock up his possessions, and that if anyone needed something, all he needed to do was to let Rustin know. Through this simple action, Rustin treated his fellow inmates with dignity and demonstrated trust in their integrity.

This, in turn, led to the creation of a community kit that inmates could contribute to or take from according to need or abundance. Within the first week, a few candy bars went missing, but stealing was nearly eliminated in the dorm. Other men besides Rustin also started adding items to the kit. The community kit even became a place where inmates, trusting the value of community policing, put their items for safekeeping. Not everyone did this, and when someone stole cigarettes, it was decided that money would be taken from the kit to pay for them unless they turned up. By the next morning, the cigarettes had been returned.

At one point, multiple boxes of snacks arrived at the camp. Some inmates thought it would be a good idea to have a party, but others objected on the grounds that it would cause too many inmates to misbehave and eat all the food. Again, Rustin decided to show trust in his fellow inmates. He set up a committee to plan the party and “chose the three men known to be the biggest thieves in the camp.”15 Rustin set high expectations for these three inmates, and they rose to the challenge. The party went off without an incident, and the remaining food was returned to the community kit. “Perhaps more significant was the fact that one man, noted for stealing, became known as one of the most capable men in the camp,” Rustin remarked.16

Fueled by his moral principles, Rustin also grew determined to talk with and befriend the guards. He was especially interested in speaking with “Captain Jones” about ways to improve working conditions. But Rustin’s fellow inmates were concerned, and they warned him that such a conversation would only make the situation worse. “He’ll kick you in the ass,” Purple said.17

Rustin talked to the Captain anyway, telling him that they “could be friends” despite their many differences. “I said I could not help but trying to act on the basis of my own Christian ideals about people but that I did try to respect and understand those who differed from me,” Rustin explained.18

The Captain was “startled” by Rustin’s overture, but that night, when speaking with the inmates, he said: “This Yankee boy ain’t so bad. They just ruined him up there ’cause they don’t know how to train you-all. But I think he’ll be all right if you-all will help him I think we can learn him.”19

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