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Director George C. Wolfe on 'Rustin'

George C. Wolfe is the director behind "Rustin." (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix)
George C. Wolfe is the director behind "Rustin." (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix)

How do you tell the untold story of an American icon? 

In “Rustin,” director George C. Wolfe tries to answer that question. 

The film follows Bayard Rustin as he plans the 1963 March on Washington, one of the largest peaceful protests in American history. 

Rustin’s story may be new to you. He was an activist, educator, and advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. He was the key architect of the March on Washington – which was attended by 250,000 people and led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act. 

He was also a socialist and openly gay man, and because of that, his contributions to Black liberation were pushed into the shadows of that history. 

We talk to Wolfe about the importance of making Bayard Rustin’s story heard.

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