Freedoms: Cash on Delivery
Bayard Rustin was an African American civil rights activist. Bayard Rustin was also a gay man. Although his endless devotion to the parallel cause his African American brothers were fighting the fact that he was a gay man made him an outsider to some degree. Since the time of Abraham people who were different have been outsiders in society. Many fought for just and right causes but they had certain differences in them that made them an outsider to their own people as well. In the 50's and 60's Bayard challenged many ideas and values that were the norm of the time. In doing so he was pushing against hundreds of years of ideas that would not die with out a fight.
On the same level, however more modern times the archaic practices of the Kenyan people of circumcising their woman is being fought as well.
Bayard Rustin, half-length portrait, facing front,...
Bayard Rustin (center) speaking with (left to righ...
In front of 170 W 130 St., March on Washington, l ...These traditions go deep into these peoples backgrounds and the older people refuse to give them up lightly, and the women and young girls who fight against this tradition are ostracized for their efforts.
The central idea I want to focus on is freedom, we can trace the fight for freedom as far back as we have knowledge. All through out time men have taken to arms in the name of freedom. In 490 bce when the Persians invaded Greece, the Greeks come together for the first time in the name of defending their freedom. The people worked together to fend off unwanted oppressors who would have enslaved them. Paradoxically the Greeks kept slaves of their own, who had less then human status in the scheme of things. Once the Greeks saw their freedom threatened they realized what they might lose, hence forming the Delian League. As the Greek philosophers...