Bayard Rustin, a pioneering civil rights leader and advocate for social justice, passed away on August 24th, 1987 at the age of 75. Rustin was a major figure in the struggle for civil rights in the United States in the mid-20th century, advocating nonviolent civil disobedience and economic and social equality for all. He organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, leading to the famous speech delivered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Born in Pennsylvania to a Quaker family, Rustin was a conscientious objector during World War II and spent his early career working as a location resources for the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the American Friends Service Committee. He joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1942 and continued to fight for civil rights in the United States and abroad until his death. In 1953, he was arrested for engaging in nonviolent civil disobedience in California and sentenced to 60 days in jail. The incident generated significant attention and helped to bring the civil rights movement into the public consciousness. Rustin was later fired from his job with CORE due to his homosexuality, which was highly controversial in the 1950s. Even after this setback, Rustin continued to pursue his civil rights activism and established the A. Philip Randolph Institute in 1966 to sustain the legacy of civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph. He joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1968 and remained active in civil rights until his death. Rustin's lifelong passion for social justice and commitment to nonviolent civil disobedience inspired a generation of activists and civil rights leaders. He will be dearly missed.