This is Bayard Rustin. (Bye-erd)

Before the crowd, the speeches, and the history books,

There was Bayard, and you should learn about him

When Bayard Rustin was growing up he was taught an important lesson:

"If something is wrong, you don't stay quiet. You help fix it"

Young Bayard listening and learning from his grandma

When Bayard became an adult, America was not a fair place

Black families were always told:

"You cant sit here"

"You can't eat here"

"You can't go to this school"

That wasn't right

And Bayard knew it

Bayard Rustin, thoughtful and determined

Some people believed in fighting with anger. But Bayard believed in fighting with peace.

That is why he studied the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr.

He said "Peace is powerful"

Martin Luther King Jr. speaking

In 1963, Civil Rights leaders planned a really big march in Washington, D.C.

They wanted all of the USA to listen

That march was named "The March on washington

People meeting at the Lincoln memorial which was the main stage for the march

More than 200,000 people showed up to that march

They stood together

They sang together

They hoped together

peaceful crowd gathering

That was the day that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech

But behind the stage, the microphones, and the scenes, there was someone who made it all happen

Bayard Rustin organizing in the back while MLK gives his speech