Netflix Biopic 'Rustin' Shines Light on 'American Gandhi' Bayard Rustin

The film explores the life of the civil rights leader, his role in organizing the 1963 March on Washington, and his experiences as an openly gay Black man during a time of heavy stigmatization.

Bayard Rustin, a key figure in the civil rights movement and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, is the focus of a new Netflix biopic titled 'Rustin'.
The film, produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, explores Rustin's navigation of personal and political hurdles as an openly gay Black man during a time when homosexuality was heavily stigmatized.
Rustin was a pacifist who studied Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence in India and passed it on to Martin Luther King Jr., earning him the nickname 'American Gandhi'.
Costume designer Toni-Leslie James worked extensively to authentically depict the fashion of the Civil Rights era, with a particular focus on showcasing Rustin's multi-dimensional character through his clothing.
The film is part of a recent resurgence of interest in Rustin's life and work, which also includes a new musical and a new book.