RUSTIN IS ALL about history. The Netflix biopic centers the story of Bayard Rustin, a key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. During Rustin’s lifetime, his vital contributions to the Civil Rights Movement were underplayed and erased due to his sexuality. But the film, directed by George C. Wolfe and starring Colman Domingo, beautifully restores Rustin’s place in the history books as a Black leader who was also proudly and openly gay.
Today, Rustin is also making history as the first major studio film to have a director, star, and writer who are all Black queer men. Julian Breece (When They See Us) wrote Rustin’s story and cowrote the screenplay alongside Dustin Lance Black (Milk). Breece spent years working on the project, conducting hours of interviews with loved ones and Rustin’s surviving partner, Walter Naegle. Ahead, he shares his insights into his process and the relevance of Rustin’s story today.
How did you first learn about Bayard Rustin? And
