Rustin 2023
Rustin 2023
Rustin 2023
Screenplay by
Story by
Julian Breece
A1 EXT. SIDE STREET - MOS A1
NATIONAL GUARDS.
STROM THURMOND
...into Our theatres, into our
swimming pools, into our homes and
into our churches.
CUT TO:
ELLA (O.S.)
No more caution. No more delays.
RANDOLPH(O.S.)
Six years ago, Brown vs. Board of
Education became the law of the
land, yet there is nothing in the
Democratic platform addressing its
enforcement.
MARTIN (O.S.)
And the Republicans’ platform is
better?
RANDOLPH(O.S.)
We plan on challenging them as
well.
ELLA (O.S.)
No free passes. Those days are
done.
MARTIN (O.S.)
So, you want me to lead 5,000
Negroes into Los Angeles, utilize
passive resistance to disrupt the
Democratic Convention, and a few
weeks later in Chicago, do the
same? I'm sorry, but I am not your
man.
BAYARD
Who told you you're not 'our man'?
Were you not 'our man' when you
took command of the Montgomery Bus
Boycott? Or spoke with such 1B.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
eloquence the night your home was
bombed, or--
MARTIN
You are conveniently forgetting I
am now co-pastor of Ebenezer.
BAYARD
Meaning?
MARTIN
I cannot forswear responsibilities
to my community, my congregation--
BAYARD
(pointedly)
What about your responsibility to
your talent, your gifts?
MARTIN
'Heavenly Father I am forever safe
in your hands.'
BAYARD
When C.L. first heard you speak, he
rang me and said: "Bayard, there's
magic going on down here." Do you
know what he saw? A star; the
heavenly kind. And when that star
starts to shine brighter than any
other, and bows to no man,
including the most powerful Negro
leaders who have come before, they
will do everything they can to
extinguish your light, and put you
in your place.
MARTIN
Chief, Mrs. Baker, I've received a
number of calls from prominent men
within The Movement who see no
wisdom in these protests; men with
whom I have a strong kinship.
4.
ELLA
Not once you leave the room.
BAYARD
Friend, one of my greatest joys is
watching you rise. The Lord speaks
through you. That direct line can
lead us into Los Angeles, where we
will most vigorously let Kennedy,
Johnson, and the entire Democratic
Party know, that unless they show
up for our people, our people will
not show up for them.
ELLA BAKER
Yes ! YES! Yes.
BAYARD
Do this, Martin, for the young, who
don’t know which way to go. Martin,
own your power.
BAYARD
Best grits ever.
MARTIN
Lest I remind you, I was born and
raised in Georgia. My mother was--
As they eat--
BAYARD
I’m proud of you.
MARTIN
I’m proud you’re proud.
BAYARD
-and how’s my beloved Coretta?
5.
MARTIN
She’s fine.
BAYARD
The kids?
MARTIN
The second I set foot in the front
door: “How’s Uncle Bayard?”
“Where’s Uncle Bayard?”
BAYARD
And the self appointed noble
Negroes of the NAACP? Roy?
Congressman Powell?
(laughs)
Can’t wait to see what they have to
3A.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
say about us making the move on
L.A.
BAYARD
I am pleased and most proud to
announce that the Reverend Dr.
Martin Luther King, will be joining
us in Los Angeles--
MARTIN
...Where we will march on the
National Democratic Convention.
CUT TO:
6.
ROY WILKINS
Had he reached out, would you have
said yes?
4 PROTEST HEADQUARTERS 4
KING
In between your dedication, and my
brilliant friend here, how can we
lose?
BAYARD
(in Martin's ear)
What say we leave the singing to
Coretta?
ROY WILKINS
(INTO PHONE)
To hell with Bayard Rustin! 5.
7 CLOSE ON ADAM-- 7
BAYARD
I assumed it would just be the two
of us.
One of the Men EXTENDS HIS HAND. After a beat, Bayard GIVES
HIM THE LETTER, and watches as it is passed from HAND TO
HAND, until it reaches Martin. Once he's finished reading,
Martin forces himself to look Bayard in the eye.
9.
MARTIN
We thank you for your many years of
service.
CUT TO BLACK:
DISSOLVE TO:
THREE YEARS LATER. A DULL ROOM filled with DULL WHITE FACES.
Bayard, thinner, haunted, is seated behind a desk, doodling.
The PHONE RINGS.
BAYARD
War Resisters League.
(instantly engaged)
How many? Yes sir, right away!
VOICE
Bayard!
Bayard looks up and sees MR. MUSTE, 75, pale and patrician,
smiling/waving his arms. Behind him, THREE ELDERLY WOMEN
(white) block one of multiple entrances to an OFFICE
BUILDING. A WAR RESISTERS LEAGUE BANNER calling for an end to
Nuclear Weapons, hangs overhead.
BAYARD
(joining Muste)
When you said 3, I understood 300.
And no press to speak of, save your
nephew.
10.
MUSTE
You're here. They're here.
(calling out)
Ladies...
BAYARD
I strongly suggest we cancel until
early next week, which will allow
time to stage a proper protest,
worthy of our--
MUSTE
I must kindly ask you again to not
undermine my authority. White
BAYARD
Sir, I assure you that was not my
intention.
MUSTE
(walking away)
Ladies, Mr. Ru stin will take over
from here.
BAYARD
Who's up for the adventure of a
lifetime; your picture in the Daily
News--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
...Hot coffee at the station?
MUSTE
And lest we forget, preserving the
planet and the lives of millions.
BAYARD
(helping the women sit)
All we have to do is take a seat,
and New York's finest will do the
rest.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
(to himself)
And then there were 3.
SNAPPING PICTURES.
BAYARD
(shouting to Muste)
A.J., coming along?
Bayard looks back and sees Muste taking the film from his
N ephew's camera and pocketing it. As the Paddy Wagon DOORS
ARE SLAMMED SHUT--
15 OMITTED 15
GIRL ONE
I got a mama. I don't need no damn
NAACP tellin' me to be patient--
MAN ONE
I go south again, it's gonna be
with a gun in my hand and Brother
Malcolm in my heart!
BAYARD
"For I ne'er saw true beauty till
this night."
RACHELLE
You talkin' to the vodka or me?
BAYARD
I take it there was some sort of
protest?
RACHELLE
It kinda got derailed, so I invited
everybody back here. You?
BAYARD
(distracted by Tom)
We commandeered the entrance to a
building downtown, and mad e our
demands known.
RACHELLE
Tom's here.
13.
BAYARD
I hadn't noticed.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Obscure fact about Miss Ella Baker,
an early champion of SNCC.
(confidentially)
She's Al Capone when it comes to
cards: Tonk, Bid Whist, Crazy
Eights.
(laughing)
You're marvelous and have
absolutely no idea who I am.
CHARLENE
(attitude)
Like you know what I know.
CHARLENE (CONT’D)
Who's that?
TYRONE
Door's barricaded, tires slashed,
nnn-no escape. A fire bomb's thrown
inn-side, folks start screaming. We
finally get out. Onnn the ground,
can't breathe, when this white
man... "Buddy, you okay?" I nod. He
takes this pipe and hits me, over
ann-nd over.
TOM
I'm so sorry.
BLYDEN
Like we give a shit you're sorry.
Was probably one of your uncles or
cousins with that pipe.
14.
NORM
Tom isn't like that.
BLYDEN
Betcha these two are card carrying
members of Martin-de-Lawd's non-
violence jamboree. So let's play.
I' ll be the redneck.
BLYDEN (CONT’D)
Beat you so bad your body starts to
scream. Beat you like they beat
Tyrone. Beat you till you calling
for your mama.
BAYARD
I'm the one that's been preaching
passive resistanc e since before you
were born, so hit me.
TOM
Bayard, I can take care of myself!
BAYARD
The pacifist is opposed to using
violence, but must be prepared to
receive it, only aim left. A
policeman in '42 took care of the
right.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Symmetry.
15.
Bayard looks into Blyden's eyes and sees a wounded soul. When
Blyden looks into Bayard's, he sees a man without fear.
BLYDEN
I hear when King said git, you
tucked your tail between your legs
and swished away.
(backing away)
You're-- irrelevant.
BAYARD
It's Friday night. I've been called
worse.
TOM
So what are you gonna do? White
BAYARD
Offering up my face as a punching
bag to a would-be Sugar Ray wasn't
enough?
TOM
Forget Blyden. We're enemies until
he remember s we used to be friends.
I'm talking about the party.
BAYARD
A party is hors d'oeuvres,
laughter, Mambo for Latin Lovers on
the Hi- fi.
TOM
Earlier today, a protest got
cancelled because nobody could
agree on the same chant. A fight
almost broke out!
BAYARD
Can I help you find--
TOM
It didn't used to be like that. Now
it's like that all the time. SNCC,
CORE, CORE East, the NAACP kids,
all fighting over agendas, slogans,
songs. And do you know who's
winning?
BAYARD
Something tells me I'm about to
find out.
TOM
Bull Connor in Birmingham, Str om
Thurmond on the Senate Floor.
Faubus, Talmadge, Maddox, Wallace,
while we all snap and snarl and eat
each other alive.
Once Tom finds what he's been looking for: rolling papers, he
kicks off his shoes and begins rolling a joint.
TOM (CONT’D)
(ribbing/flirting)
Mambo for Latin Lovers? You are
old.
BAYARD
(flirting)
Vintage. Intoxicating. Robust.
TOM
So what are you gonna do?
(laughing)
Stop distracting me. The Mo vement
needs you.
BAYARD
I already have a job. Mr. Muste--
TOM
Hates you because you possess
everything he does not: charm,
passion, a goddamn pulse.
17.
BAYARD
Thomas--
TOM
Don't call me Thomas.
BAYARD
...You've yet to learn it is unwise
to speak of that which you do not
know.
TOM
He treats you like shit to keep you
from getting 'uppity' and wanting
to quit.
BAYARD
I don't care if you were elected to
Howard's Student Council--
TOM (CONT’D)
Why don't you admit you're still
hurt o ver what happened between you
and Dr. King, so you'll use any
excuse--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Just because you're smart about
some thing, doesn’t mean you’re
smart about everything.
TOM
I've got the right to an opinion!
BAYARD
And when it comes to my life, my
past, especially as it relates to
M artin, I've got the right to say
ENOUGH!
18.
The Two Men wind up seated next to each other on the bed. The
display of anger has also given way to desire. Tom lights the
joint.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
The last time I checked, that was
illegal.
TOM
The last time I checked, so were
we.
(Takes off his shirt)
I should go.
BAYARD
Your language suggests one impulse,
your actions another.
TOM
Your eyes don't seem to mind the
contradiction.
BAYARD
The best advice I ever got fro m Ma
Rustin: Never sleep on misery.
TOM
Then I guess we shouldn't sleep.
CUT TO:
BAYARD
I've had an idea. Want to be my
assistant again?
TOM
Of course.
19.
Bayard eases away from Tom's touch, not out of cruelty, but
because his focus is elsewhere.
BAYARD
Get me the Randolph/Truman '48
folder; that trunk over there.
Tom recognizes this Bayard. Now that the warrior has been
roused, whatever intimacy from the night before is gone.
BAYARD
Thirty years ago, Gandhi walked to
the sea, picked up a handful of
salt and inspired a movement that
brought down an empire. The time
has come for us to do the same.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
We are going to put together the
largest peaceful gathering in the
history of this nation, the world.
ELEANOR
How big?
BAYARD
100,000 people.
CHARLENE
Is he for real?
BAYARD
A massive two-day demonstration
with the power to shut down the
White House, and Capitol Hill, made
up of angelic troublemakers such as
yourselves, with actions so bold
and inspiring, the execution will
demand all groups draw tightly
together and become one. So let's
hear 'em--
20.
BAYARD
All your ideas. Talk! Shout! Take
command!
ELEANOR
What if we flood the offices of
every member of the House and
Senate, with delegates from church,
labor, civil rights--
ELEANOR (CONT’D)
...And in such numbers, the
Legislative branch will cease to
function.
BAYARD
(offering a marker)
"Flood Legislative Offices." Write
it on the wall.
As Eleanor does--
TOM
Impossible to train that many
lobbyists in--
BAYARD
No-no-no. Do not kill an impulse
before it's born.
NORM
Picking up on Tom's concern and
Eleanor's idea, what if instead of
lobbyists, they're constituents
from their respective states--
NORM (CONT’D)
...Who refuse to leave until
they've been heard!
21.
BAYARD
Now that's collaboration!
NORM
Technically it was an amalgam of--
RACHELLE
(teasing)
Why can't you be collaborative like
Norm?
TOM
Shut up.
RACHELLE
(singsongy)
Somebody didn't go home last night.
BAYARD
Rachelle. How many bodies does it
take to surrou nd the White House?
RACHELLE
How many? Sorry, I thought that was
the setup for a joke. So you want
me to literally--
BAYARD
Day Two, we shall surround the
White House and serenade the
President.
(singing)
Ain't gonna let the President turn
me around/Marching up to freedom
land.
CHARLES
What about sleeping arrangements?
D.C. has only so many Negro hotels.
CHARLENE
How about tents? You know --
BAYARD
A sea of tents; big and bold enough
to unify an entire movement.
22.
CHARLENE
Gimme that thing!
BAYARD
And near the Lincoln Memorial, a
stage where the Head of every Civil
Rights organization can be heard.
ELEANOR
Why just the Heads?
BAYARD
More! More!
BAYARD
We started with two rectangles, and
look--
The CAMERA TAKES IN The Team, TAKING IN THE MAP, now littered
with DRAWINGS/ PHRASES: Day 2 March, Stage for Speeches,
Surround White House Sing!, etc.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
In order to make all of this real,
each night, I want you to imagine
these two days from beginning to
end; every problem that needs to be
solved, and every detail that must
be fixed. I'll be doing the same.
The work starts now!
BAYARD
In '41, you called for a large-
scale march to protest
discrimination in the defense
industry, but then cancelled.
RANDOLPH
Roosevelt acquiesced to our
demands, as did Truman in '48.
(a source of pride)
Executive Or der 9981: The End of
Segregation in the Armed Forces.
BAYARD
The time has come for another
March.
RANDOLPH
I can't. Not now. If Lucille makes
it past the summer...
BAYARD
We honor her by doing the work we
have always done; the work the two
of you did together.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
I can handle all the grunt work:
building a grass roots operation,
rally the young. But when it comes
to the old guard: Whitney, Jim--
24.
RANDOLPH
Roy.
BAYARD
Especially Roy, I'm considered a
pariah. I need you, otherwise this
march will never take flight.
RANDOLPH
No matter what Roy says or does, I
need you to behave.
BAYARD
I do not have issues with Roy. It's
Roy has issues with me.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
But in deference to both you and
the cause, I shall sit in a corner
and smile.
ROY WILKINS
And so, after a day spent flooding
the Capitol and encircling the
White House, so that the President
of the United States cannot get in
or out of his own home, our
intrepid protesters would retire to
tents, which now cover the National
Mall. Day One.
25.
RANDOLPH
As we all know, there is only one
person capable of organizing an
event of this scale.
ROY WILKINS
Bayard, I was under the impression
you were busy serving-- I mean
saving white people from the bomb.
BAYARD
I go where needed.
ROY WILKINS
As opposed to when asked.
(to Randolph)
If memory serves me, this is your
third attempt at--
BAYARD
He did not-- Did he just say
'attempt'?
ROY WILKINS
Do you have something to say?
BAYARD
No, except 'attempt' is hardly a
word I'd used to describe the
actions of a man who single-
handedly is responsible for
integrating both the armed forces
and defense industry, but--
ROY WILKINS
Mr. Randolph, I was about to ask if
t his was once again a ruse to get a
sitting president to yield.
RANDOLPH
No, we intend to march.
MEDGAR
Roy?
26.
ROY WILKINS
Yes, Medgar?
MEDGAR
Most of our folks in Mississippi
have never been outside of their
hometowns, so the opportunity to
march with people from all over--
BAYARD
There you go!
MEDGAR
...Will afford them the chance to
discover, not only are they not
alone--
BAYARD
He gets it!
MEDGAR
...But are engaged in a struggle
far greater than they ever dreamed.
BAYARD
(shaking his hand)
Thank you, Brother Evers.
R OY WILKINS
Let just one Negro breathe wrong,
and the entire D.C. Police
Department will explode. White
BAYARD
And the world will bear witness.
ROY WILKINS
Chief, what size crowd are you
projecting?
RANDOLPH
100,000 people.
ELIAS
Mr. Wilkins, forgive me but that's
impractical.
Bayard looks over and sees one of the handsomest men, ever.
27.
ROY WILKINS
Elias is from Alabama. A field
organizer. Perhaps you have facts
to substantiate your claim.
ELIAS
(reading)
Previous D.C. Demonstrations: In
1913, 8,000 Suffragettes. In '26,
25,000 Klu Klux Klan. The Prayer
Pilgrimage in '57, 30,000. And in
1932, 42,000 Veterans marched and
were attacked with tear gas and
tanks.
ROY WILKINS
Who led the attack?
ELIAS
The military.
ROY WILKINS
And the Veterans' race?
ELIAS
White.
ROY WILKINS
White boys.
BAYARD
Young man, your facts are correct,
but your sense of history is not.
Those 42,000 men marched on
Washington D.C. because it was the
Depression, and after dutifully
serving their country, found
themselves without jobs, and homes,
and food to feed their families.
And when they took to the street
and were attacked, the world did in
fact bear witness. Gandhi brought
an empire to its knees--
ROY WILKINS
Will someone please tell this man
this in not INDIA!
(MORE)
28.
ROY WILKINS (CONT’D)
For decades The NAACP has been
getting Negroes out of jail. All of
a sudden, they want to stay in and
sing songs. And now you are
proposing a 100,000 Black folks
invade Washington D.C. Have you
talked to Martin about this?
BAYARD
(nonchalant)
I lost his number, he lost mine...
ROY WILKINS
Dr. King, who hasn't lost my
number, has come to understand that
mass lobbying is sheer madness.
BAYARD
Brown v. Boar d is the crowning
glory of this organization, yet all
across the South, when Negro
children sleep, they see 'Whites
Only' signs instead of their
dreams. Counting on the courts to
eradicate racial inequity, that's
madness.
ROY WILKINS
Mr. Randolph sir, you are a giant
among men, but when it comes to
this--
(i.e., The Plan)
The NAACP says no.
ELIAS
"When an individual is protesting
society's refusal to acknowledge
his dignity, his act of protest
confers dignity on him."
BAYARD
Why are you quoting me, to me?
ELIAS
You're an inspiration.
29.
BAYARD
Inspiration untethered from action
loses all value.
ELIAS
Who said that?
BAYARD
I did. Just now.
ELIAS
I agree with Mr. Evers. At its
core, your idea has potential. I
would have spoken up, but it wasn't
my place.
BAYARD
It wasn't your place to voice
support, but it was to help tear it
down?
ELIAS
Your march is possible without The
NAACP, but not without Dr. King,
and Mr. Wilkins knows it.
ELIAS (CONT’D)
Elias Taylor. You looked like you
were about to ask.
BAYARD
I was about to ask something, but
it wasn't that.
ELIAS
(laughing/embarrassed)
I was warned-- Whatever you want to
say, you just say it.
BAYARD
Doe sn't everyone.
ELIAS
No. Most people are modest,
cautious, afraid.
30.
BAYARD
So do it. Say what you are thinking
right this second. No caution, no
fear.
Bayard waits. He's not backing down. Elias wants to, even
tries to, but can't. Sensing Bayard's had enough--
ELIAS
(blurting out)
My wife is in town through Saturday
night.
CLAUDIA
Mr. Rustin! Claudia Taylor.
BAYARD
Have we--
CLAUDIA
Years ago. I volunteered for the
Women's Political Council during
the bus boycott. You spoke, and my
spirit soared. Elias!
CL AUDIA (CONT’D)
Have you two met?
BAYARD ELIAS
Just now-- Earlier.
CLAUDIA
Mr. Wilkins chose Elias to
coordinate efforts between national
and regional branches. Until he
takes over my Daddy's church.
(reassuring Elias)
It's only a matter of time.
31.
BAYARD
I have no doubt, Mr. Taylor, you'll
continue to impress your lovely
wife's father. And such a vocation
holds great rewards, celestial and
worldly.
CLAUDIA
A heavenly calling indeed, but once
Daddy says yes, I expect a Lincoln,
just like my Mama's.
BAYARD
I hope to see you both again very
soon. Perhaps on the Sabbath?
CLAUDIA
Sadly, no. I leave Saturday .
Wouldn't that have been a dream.
TOM
Careful.
BAYARD
I asked you to be my assistant, not
"Mrs. Rustin." That is if you still
want the job?
TOM
Yes, of course. Yes. Yes. Yes.
RANDOLPH
Years ago, we started a Shakespeare
Society. Fighting racial tyranny by
day, reciting 'What a piece of work
is man' by night. Why is it no
matter how hard you try, it's never
enough?
BAYARD
The day I came by and we danced, I
told her about the march. The light
in her e yes.
ELLA
Mr. Rustin, I see that you have
arisen.
BAYARD
You're merely witnessing the
walking dead.
ELLA
Don't make me embarrass my mama at
such a solemn affair. Call me back.
Bayard and Elias are seated at the bar; a few MEN AND WOMEN
scattered about. On the jukebox: DORIS DAY.
BAYARD
The first time Martin invited me
into his home , there were guns
everywhere, underneath the sofa,
inside the chiffarobe, guards on
ELIAS
So Dr. King's stance on non-
violence, he got from you?
BAYARD
By way of Jesus Christ, Ghandi,
Thoreau.
ELIAS
He trusted you?
BAYARD
I always told him what I knew to be
true.
(to Bartender)
Vodka, water and--
(to Elias)
How about a Manhattan? After two,
you'll be a changed man.
ELIAS
In that case, gimme three. No-no,
just one please, thank you. Thank
you.
ELIAS
The man's asthmatic, can barely
walk or breath, but the second he
hits the pulpit--
(combustive energy)
"The end of the world is at hand!"
Bayard laughs.
ELIAS (CONT’D)
I'm gonna burn in hell.
BAYARD
For sharing how you feel?
ELIAS
For not revering a man who welcomed
me into his home, and hates my
guts, and I feel the ex act same way
about him!
(taking a large gulp)
You're bad. You're good. I'll have
another. Do you want--
34.
BAYARD
The church...your dream or hers?
ELIAS
I have always wanted to serve the
Lord. You were raised--
BAYARD
Quaker.
ELIAS
No!
BAYARD
My parents, who were really my
grandparents, raised me after their
daughter, my mother, flew the coup.
ELIAS
So... the rumors about you and Dr.
King?
BAYARD
An ugly lie perpetrated by Adam
Clayton Powell to stop a planned
protest. He threatened to share his
lie with the press. I called
Martin's bluff and resigned. He
accepted, effectively ended my
connection with The Movement.
ELIAS
Why would Reverend Powell do
something like that?
BAYARD
Months later, Reverend Powell was
made Chairman of the House
Committee on Education and Labor.
Not saying the two are related but--
ELIAS
So, where is your resentment?
BAYARD
Martin is a gift from God. I
beli eved it then. I believe it now.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
You're okay in here. At this hour.
ELIAS
It's drilled into you, the day
you're born: "They think you're
less than, so you've got to be
better than."
BAYARD
Yes. Yes.
ELIAS
"Everything you do reflects on the
race." "Be charming, be perfect, be
polite."
BAYARD
The suffocating chains of Negro
respectability. When I told Ma
Rustin I preferred dancing with
boys instead of girls, she said
"What would you have me do with
that?" And then she said "I suppose
that's what you need to do."
BAYARD (CONT’D)
When Martin speaks, he holds
nothing back. That's what people
feel when they hear him: truth. So,
tell me, Elias Taylor, how can you
preach salvation, and you don't
want to save yourself? How can you
speak about love, when your flesh
is disconnected from your heart?
BAYARD
(laughing)
And when Roy said, "So Elias, can
you substantiate your claim," and
you pulled out that piece of paper.
I hope the two of you didn't think--
ELIAS
Teach me how not to be afraid.
ELIAS (CONT’D)
Good night.
BAYARD
A man in uniform unleashes attack
dogs, turns a fire hose on the
innocent, and the first wo rds out
of your goddamn mouth are "Shame on
Reverend King."
JIM
Bayard, I see no reason for you to--
BAYARD
You see this and think 'those po'
Negroes down south,' incapable of
understanding they are beyond
powerful, because today they
discovered a bravery they never
knew they had, and a bravery you'll
never know.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
You sit behind that desk, as you
have sat for over thirty years,
convincing yourself you are
committed to saving the world, when
the only thing you're commi tted to
is your own safety and superiority.
MUSTE
Bayard, enough! Raging against Jim
because of the color of his skin.
BAYARD
I'm not raging against Jim because
of the color of his skin. I'm
raging at him for being arrogant
and ill-informed. The fact that he
happens to be white while doing so,
well that's between him and the
Lord.
MUSTE
Every day we agree to surrender
that which makes us different, so
t hat together we might forge a more
humane world.
BAYARD
I can't surrender my differences.
The world won't let me. And even if
I could, I wouldn't want to. Not
today.
MUSTE
Where are you going? What are you
doing?
BAYARD
Sarah, Sarah, Agnes, Jim.
MUSTE
You must stay here where I can
protect you, from the world, and
from yourself. You are a man of
exceptional skills and keen
intellect--
(confidentially)
...But until you admit to your
anger at being abandoned by your
parents, which is why you became a
homosexual, to hurt them and hurt
yourself, you will never be fully
whole, not as a man, and not as a
person committed to saving the
world.
BAYARD
Mr. Muste, sir, have you ever been
to a Negro church?
MUSTE
Innumerable times.
BAYARD
As a Quaker, I'd never seen
anything like it; the hand-
clapping, singing, shouting. It
felt like exalted rage. And so
instead of staying here and saying
something I might regret, I'm going
to leave. And this coming Sunday--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
...I'm going to church!
ELLA (O.S.)
So, this young preacher working for
Roy--
ELLA
...I hear he's so fine, the Lord
cried when he made him.
BAYARD
I have no idea to what or to whom
you are referring.
ELLA
And what happened to whatshisname,
the pale one-- Tom? Is that more
your flavor?
BAYARD
I am drawn to beauty, black-white-
indeterminate. So long as they're
passionate and smart. Why is
everyone so obsessed with what I am
doing and with whom?
ELLA
I'm just curious as to why it took
you so long to return my calls?
BAYARD
Because, my dear Miss Baker, you
casually ask questions which cut to
the core of one's soul.
ELLA
So, why you aren't you on a bus to
Atlanta tonight?
BAYARD
I'm not wanted in Atlanta.
ELLA
A reason that has nothing to do
with pride.
BAYARD
Because I do not care! Besides, Dr.
King is doing just fine.
ELLA
Albany, Georgia? You call that
doing just fine?
BAYARD
(instantly ir ate)
Who, who tries to integrate an
entire town?
(MORE)
40.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Your focus must be singular: a
lunch counter, a bus boycott.
Thinking he had another Bull Connor
on his hands. Sheriff Pritchett
undermined every media-savvy move
Martin made. As a result, the
Southern Civil Rights struggle got
swept off the front pages of The
New York Times.
ELLA
(with a knowing smile)
Thought you didn't care?
BAYARD
I don't! I of course care about the
cause-- And some where deep inside,
Martin-- More so Coretta and the
kids-- Which is not to say--
ELLA
You're embarrassing yourself.
Answer the phone.
BAYARD
Yes?
(to Ella)
Turn on the TV.
BAYARD
Words. Nothing but--
ELLA
Shh.
41.
ELLA
On your own, you and Martin are
fine. Together, you are fire. He
needs you to help him figure out
what's next. And you need him to
nationalize this march. And if you
dare bring up that damn job as an
excuse--
BAYARD
This afternoon, I quit, or took a
leave of absence, or--
ELLA
Good! A shark trapped in a shot
glass! I never bought for one
second Powell's lie, but I do
believe he saw the power you and
Martin have together, and it
threatened him; threatens them all.
ELLA (CONT’D)
This country has failed us, over
and over. Even so, each day, we
forgive by fighting to make things
right, yet you can't forgive Martin
for failing you one time.
ELLA (CONT’D)
I tell you, this new generation is
restless, and angry. Are you going
to let that anger turn to blood,
our children's blood, or will you
harness it, with Martin, for our
freedom?
FLASHBACK:
MOTHER
(pulling her hand back)
Don't touch that nigger.
OFFICER
Git on back now.
BAYARD
I cannot move.
BUS DRIVER
You walked past me and sat there.
BAYARD
If I move, this child will never
know an injustice is taking place.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
I am not resisting. Why are you–
Bayard moves down the aisle, past the White Section. He spies
a FOLDED NEWSPAPER, and grabs it. The HEADLINE staggers him:
MEDGAR EVERS SHOT DEAD.
BAYARD
Coretta.
CORETTA
Bayard, as I live and breathe.
(ushering him inside)
When did you get into town?
BAYARD
Within the hour.
CORETTA
You must stay for dinner.
BAYARD
You best ask the maste r of the
house.
CORETTA
There can't be a master without
slaves, and in this house there are
neither.
BAYARD
Show me the little ones at once!
BAYARD
So, Madame Coloratura, Carnegie
Hall? I know some folks who know
some folks.
44.
CORETTA
You haven't been here ten minutes--
BAYARD
Yolanda, Dexter, did you know your
mama is a great singer?
BAYARD (CONT’D)
I'll go first.
CORETTA
Of course you will.
BAYARD (SINGING)
This little light of mine, I'm
gonna let it shine.
CORETTA/BAYARD
This little light of mine, I'm
gonna let it shine.
CORETTA
This little light of mine, I'm
go nna let it shine. Let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine!
BAYARD
Everybody now!
BAYARD/CORETTA/KIDS
Jesus is the Light, I'm gonna let
Him shine!
IN THE KITCHEN:
BAYARD/CORETTA/KIDS (CONT’D)
Jesus is the Light, I'm gonna let
Him shi ne! Let him shine, let him
shine--
BAYARD
Fortissimo! That means loud!
45.
BAYARD/CORETTA/KIDS
Let him shinnne!
Bayard follows Martin into the room and closes the door. It
is the first time they have been alone together in three
years; the energy between them, stilted/awkward. Martin
gestures. They sit.
BAYARD
So...Brother Medgar.
MARTIN
Unspeakable.
BAYARD
When's the funeral?
MARTIN
Next Wednesday. Corrie and Myrlie
have been in t ouch. What did you
make of Kennedy's speech?
BAYARD
Calculated, cautious. Hours later,
Medgar gets shot.
MARTIN
So, your march. Ambitious.
BAYARD
Unless we demonstrate unity and
strength, Kennedy will do what
they've all done before: champion
legislature destined to be doomed.
MARTIN
A March for jobs doesn't address
our concerns down here.
BAYARD
Then call it a March for Jobs and
Freedom. This was not an ea sy
journey for me, but the promise of
what this march could become--
(with mounting passion)
...The monumental impact it could
have, the lives it could radically
alter, the dreams, visions and
unfulfilled aspirations of our
ancestors at long last realized,
the, the--
46.
MARTIN
(laughing)
The first time we met, I remember
calling Corrie and saying, "This
Rustin fellow's a little crazy in
the head." Only later did I fully
comprehend 'a little' didn't come
even close. I've missed you,
friend.
BAYARD
And I, you.
MARTIN
Come fall, the Dixiecrats will get
to work gutting Kennedy's bill,
which leaves us roughly--
BAYARD
...T wo months to pull off the
largest peaceful protest ever, and
absolutely no time for anything
else.
MARTIN
Such as?
BAYARD
Succumbing to blackmail, innuendo
and lies, which are sure to follow,
if and when the march is announced.
MARTIN
(gingerly)
And what of the things about you
that are true?
BAYARD
What you see I cannot conceal. But
I swear to you, there will be no
new incidents.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
So...
MARTIN
So...an epic demonstration in the
nation's capitol, organized in 8 to
10 weeks, and without the support
of the NAACP?
47.
BAYARD
Sounds like a helluva good time.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
You once said "The time is always
right to do right."
ELIAS (O.S.)
...Mr. Wilkins can't attack it, so
he's coming after you.
MARTIN
This should prove interesting.
Chief, after you.
CLEVE
Brother Rustin!
BAYARD
Cleve, what are you doing here?
CLEVE
When I heard about Roy and his
little coup-d'tete-a-tete, I
decided to show up and provide
support, moral and--
(his fists)
...Otherwise.
BAYARD
Norm, Tom, meet the indomitable
Cleve Robinson, Union Leader of
District 65.
CLEVE
And newly appointed Chairman of the
March's Administrative Committee--
BAYARD RUSTIN
And i ts first donor.
CLEVE
Guess they've never seen proud
Black men before.
(calling out to them)
"Glorious shall be the battle when
the time comes to fight for our
people and our race."
NORM
(sotto voce)
The man's a human hand grenade.
CLEVE
Black gents and Tom, shall we?
The Big 6 are seated around the table: Urban League's WHITNEY
YOUNG, 47; CORE's JIM FARMER, 43; SNCC's JOHN LEWIS, the
youngest, 23; plus Randolp, Martin and Roy.
BAYARD
I realize a total budget of 65,000
dollars might seem like a lot--
WHITNEY YOUNG
Chief, there's a rumor going around
you intend to hold the march this
summer.
JIM FARMER
Way too soon!
BAYARD
(above the fray)
While the horror of Birmingham is
still fresh in the nation's mind,
we must seize the moment and--
MARTIN
Bayard, if I might.
MARTIN (CONT’D)
We all heard the President announce
on national television he's sending
a bill to Congress. It is my
personal estimation, and Chief,
please feel free to contradict,
that in order to get this bill past
the southern segregationist, it
will take a president with
intelligence, political savvy and
passion.
MARTIN (CONT’D)
Kennedy has the first two in
abundance, b ut not the third; not
when it comes to civil rights. And
so to make sure he does not relent,
we must not relent in our
commitment to this country, and to
the race. And that is the reason
for the timely nature of this most
improbable, yet most essential
endeavor.
RANDOLPH
I couldn't have said it better
myself.
50.
ROY WILKINS
Who are all these people? I did not
cut short my Regional Conference to
meet with everybody's seconds the
thirds.
(indicating the Big 6)
You, you, you, you, and you, stay.
Everybody, out!
CLEVE
I am Chairman of the Administrative
Committee, and to date, the march's
only donor.
ROY WILKINS
Much appreciated. OUT!
CLEVE
Go ahead! Vote yourselves outta
history!
BAY ARD
(ushering him out)
Come along, Cleve.
CLEVE
I'd be happier doin' it without
you, you showboatin' blood-suckin'
sons-of-whores.
CLEVE
(annoyed with Bayard)
Just sitting there, like some toad?
NORM HILL
I am so disappoint ed in Mr.
Wilkins.
TOM
You do realize what's happening,
right this second?
51.
BAYARD
My guess is, Roy is starting to
build his case against me.
ROY WILKINS
We must ask ourselves, is this the
man we wish to see labeled 'Mr.
March on Washington.'
ROY WILKINS
He was a member of the Young
Communist League--
RANDOLPH
Which he renounced years ago.
ROY WILKINS
...Imprisoned for refusing the
draft.
JOHN LEWIS
A moral decision, not a cowardly
one.
ROY WI LKINS
His mannerisms and reputation make
him an easy target. And when the
White press and powers that be take
aim, and they will, every single
person seated around this table
will also be in the line of fire,
because of him.
A DEADLY SILENCE.
MARTIN
Whatever we decide, we must do so
with humility and respect.
JIM FARMER
Chief?
52.
RANDOLPH
What date is strategically wise for
a march?
BAYARD
We'll need at least eight weeks.
RANDOLPH
Monday, August 26th?
BAYARD
Mondays will be challenging for
protestant Ministers, and Fridays
complicated for our Jewish friends.
TOM
I'm sorry sir, but what happened in
t here?
MR. RANDOLPH
They voted to remove Bayard as
Director.
CLEVE
Son-of-a-bitch!
RANDOLPH
And my first order of business was
to reappoint him as my Deputy
Director, putting him fully in
charge.
BAYARD
You can call me Trash Collector for
all I care. I only wish I could
have seen Roy's face.
MR. RANDOLPH
Looked a little like Tom's does
right now.
CLEVE
(hugging Bayard)
You'r e one clever black bastard!
(MORE)
53.
CLEVE (CONT’D)
Can't put a thing over on you. Are
you sure you're not Jamaican?
RANDOLPH
Get to work.
The whole street watches as they make their way down the
block before entering 170 West 130th, a neglected brownstone,
soon to be known as--
BAYARD
Our new offices. The third floor is
uninhabitable, so we'll all be on
top of each other down here.
YVETTE
Dirty.
BAYARD
Keen observation.
(he hands her a broom)
Over here--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Our boardroom.
54.
CLEVE
(to Norm)
Nice.
BAYARD
Rachelle, you'll be in charge of
transportation.
RACHELLE
For a hundred thousand people? I
can't even drive.
BAYARD
My faith in you and your compulsive
nature knows no bounds. Norm,
you'll travel from city to city,
raising funds and spreading the
word.
NORM
What's my budget?
BAYARD
This'll get you to your first city,
where you'll raise enough to g et
you to the next.
(Calling out)
My office!
DR. ANNA
Near the front door. Is that wise?
BAYARD
I'd like to welcome a woman who
needs no introduction--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Educator, activist, and the first
Negro woman to serve in a New York
City cabinet position, Dr. Hedgeman
has volunteered to lead outreach to
all religious organizations.
DR. ANNA
There shall be two lists: one for
those who support us, and one for
those who do not. Over time, those
who are opposed shall be shamed
into surrender.
55.
BAYARD
Tom, Eleanor, you'll oversee all
written documents. First up, an
invite to a July 2nd meeting with
the Big 6.
DR. ANNA
All those oversized hats to fit
their oversized heads.
BAYARD
We need their numbers and
resources. And they are each
loaning us two employees.
CLEVE
Spies!
BAYARD
If this uneasy alliance is ever
going to wor k, we've got to figure
out how to live under one roof.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Courtney?
COURTNEY
Yes sir.
BAYARD
You're coming with me to D.C.
(standing next to Cleve)
If we expect to engage a hundred
thousand people, we'll need a phone
on every desk, and someone to get
them on the cheap.
CLEVE
Look no further. I'm yo ur man.
BAYARD
Rachelle, two sisters from SNCC
will be moving in with you sometime
tomorrow. Tom--
(confidentially)
(MORE)
56.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Instead of finding a place in the
city, you'll stay in my spare room;
keep me focused and out of trouble.
TOM
Bayard, we tried this and--
BAYARD
Norm-Tom-Charles, around the
corner, Johnson's Mortuary. See if
they'll lend us chairs. Now.
(they go)
By the time I get back tomorrow
night from D.C., this "dump" needs
to be operational.
LINCOLN
REVEAL: CHIEF WELLS and FIVE MEN, all white, standing atop
the steps. A tiny reception for such a grand idea.
BAYARD
(warmly smiling)
One can't help but be in awe.
COURTNEY
Makes you want to believe.
BAYARD
Bayard Rustin, Deputy Director of
The March on Washington for Jobs
and Freedom.
CHIEF WELLS
(as they shake)
Chief Wells.
BAYARD
Who's with National Park Service?
CHIEF WELLS
No one.
BAYARD
If I'm not mistaken, The Mall falls
under NPS jurisdiction?
CHIEF WELLS
Correct.
BAYARD
Chief Wells, in little under seven
weeks’ time, a monumental, two-day
event is--
CHIEF WELLS
One day. It's no longer a two-day
event.
BAYARD
According to whom?
CHIEF WELLS
Mr. Wilkins of the NAACP also
believes it should be one day.
BAYARD
(the faux-accent is b ack)
It'd be safe in assuming you do not
work for Mr. Wilkins?
CHIEF WELLS
(amused)
No, I do not.
BAYARD
Neither do I, so I'm confused as to
why you mentioned his name. I am
however very interested in knowing
who you do work for, and if they're
the person who also believes the
march should be one day?
CHIEF WELLS
(with a smile)
Mr. Rustin, we've found what works
best is for you to answer our
questions, not the reverse.
58.
BAYARD
And I've found a free flowing
exchange of information and ideas
works even better.
CHIEF WELLS
When you put on an event in your
mall we'll give that a go, but
seeing as it's your gathering in
our mall--
BAYARD
Your Mall? Not The National Mall,
or America's Front Yard, or The
People's Mall.
CHIEF WELLS
Mr. Rustin, since you insist on
raising your voice--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Where are you going?
(to Courtney)
Where are they--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Sir, we have yet to discuss bus
arrivals, drinking fountains...
BAYARD (CONT’D)
(calling after them)
And it is not a gathering! It is an
act of civil disobedience,
organized and sanctioned by some of
the most meaningful minds in the
country. And it is going to take
place...
BAYARD RUSTIN
...Over two days.
BAYARD (O.S.)
I tell you Martin--
BAYARD
Not since Tennessee, when those two
policemen set out to reconf igure my
face, have I experienced such an
overt display of disregard. They
had one goal: to make sure the
meeting was a resounding failure.
BAYARD
Yes, but it was clear this was
coming from some place higher up.
MARTIN
The President and Attorney General/
brother Bobby higher up, or Hoover
and the FBI higher up?
BAYARD
All of th e above.
MARTIN
Corrie's calling me to dinner.
We'll talk tomorrow.
BAYARD
Give her a hug.
RACHELLE
Dorie, Joyce, I swear I have never
tasted anything this good in my
entire life. Have you, Tom?
Tom nods to the beat and keeps chewing. They all LAUGH.
ELEANOR
Wait a minute. You're the one who
started the riot.
DORIE
Girl, you know how white people
are. Three Negroes on a corner and
it's a riot. No offense.
JOYCE
After Mr. Evers' funeral, we were
all standing around, numb, unable
to move.
DORIE
So I started walking, and folks
started singing, and the walking
turned to marching, and singing to
shouting. And when the police
showed up and got all white, we got
real colored real quick!
ELEANOR
For an instant riot, just add
Dorie.
JOYCE
(bringing him a plate)
Mr. Bayard, you knew our mentor,
Mr. Evers.
61.
BAYARD
Call me Bayard. He was a good man,
and an early supporter of the
march.
TOM
You're not gonna be with us in
Harlem?
DORIE
I'll be downtown, at SNCC. But
Joyce will.
BAYARD
(To the room)
I have a question.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
What got you each started?
JOYCE
Well--
BAYARD
Don't be nervous.
JOYCE
...When I was 10, Dorie 11, we were
at the corner store, when this
white clerk came up from behi nd and
grabbed Dorie's breast.
DORIE
So I grabbed a box of donuts, and
beat him upside his head.
JOYCE
We ran home and told our mama and
she said, "You shoulda killed him."
We've been marching ever since.
ELEANOR
For me, it started with our fathers
fighting Aryan racism in Germany
and then coming home to Jim Crow
laws. They started NAACP chapters,
and we are their children; the
first generation to grow up knowing
how to organize and fight back.
JOYCE
Tom?
62.
TOM
He already knows my story.
DORIE
We don't.
TOM
Shortly after I was born, my mother
left me at a Foundling Hospital.
JOYCE
Jesus wept.
TOM
I sometimes think my sense of
social justice was born of being an
outsider in an adoptive family. I'm
also here because my father worked
with the unions, so I'm very
passionate about building
coalitions. That's about it.
RACHELLE
The first adults to make me feel
good a bout myself were my 5th grade
teacher and 7th grade librarian;
Negro women who demanded I read
something other than comic books,
and let me check out books from the
grown- up section. And then Emmett
Till happened.
ELEANOR
(a punch to her stomach)
Umph!
RACHELLE
And seeing kids my age being spat
on integrating Central High--
DORIE
Don't get me going.
RACHELLE
...I joined the Students for
Democratic Action, and once we got
to college-- Tom and I went to the
same high school, we volunteered at
this office run by Bayard, who
taught us about The Movement, and
what books to read. He'd sing and
he was just so-- Remember, Tom?
BAYARD
After the day I had in D.C., thank
you.
BAYARD
Hello?
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Hello?
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Sorry.
TOM
Sorry. Are you alone?
BAYARD
Never when Mahalia is around.
Drink?
TOM
I should probably...
BAYARD
So, those sisters.
TOM
Such heart.
BAYARD
(indicating a drink)
I made you one anyway.
TOM
Bayard--
64.
BAYARD
(moving in)
No one has to know.
TOM
When I was five, my mother told me
she was taking me back to where she
62.
TOM (CONT’D)
found me. Along the way, she
sobered up and we went back home. I
begged her to tell me what she'd
meant. She never did. Eight years
later, I found my adoption papers.
I hate secrets, and I won't be
yours.
Tom goes into his room and closes the door. Just when the
loneliness is about t o devour Bayard--
60 MINUTES LATER 60
The Man walks toward Bayard, slows down. Bayard does the
same. The MAN STOPS. So does Bayard. It's all in BAYARD'S
FACE: desperation, trepidation, desire. Just when the Man is
about to cross the street, Bayard's caution/paranoia sets in,
and he quickly walks away.
ELIAS
And GAWD will shine his light down
on you. He will LIFT YOU UP in your
time of sorrow, for as the good
book says: SUFFER NOT little
children, unto me.
65.
BAYARD
(laughing)
I'm sorry, but what the hell was
that?
ELIAS
(hurt)
I apologize for wasting your time.
BAYARD
(cornering Elias)
I wanna see you not your asthmatic
father-in-law, or whoever the hell
you think you've got to be to
appeal to his congregation. 63.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
(getting even closer)
I wanna see your hurt, your heart.
Martin holds a PhD from Boston
University. He's impassioned and
political and a mama's boy, and
over time he has learned to not
apologize for any of that!
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Try it again, and this time , I
wanna see you.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
That's all for tonight.
CHARLENE JOYCE
47 people in Chattanooga? Yes Michelle Harwood speaking.
ma'am. Michelle Harwood. There's a bus leaving First
Baptist Church on-- Yes
ma'am.
DR. ANNA
Who is Michelle Harwood?
JOYCE
Anyone involved in travel is
Michelle Harwood. Keeps it simple
when they call back. Bayard's idea.
JOHN LEWIS
The President kept talking, mostly
about himself; how if anything goes
wrong at the march, it's gonna kill
his bill, and why protest at the
White House, especially after his
speech and his bill.
BAYARD
What was Roy's response?
JOHN LEWIS
Nodding mostly.
BAYARD
Whitney and Jim?
JOHN LEWIS
Watching Martin, who was listening.
And then the President's brother--
BAYARD
The Attorney General was there?
JOHN LEWIS
...Kept saying we should cancel,
call the whole thing off. And
that's when Mr. Randolph stood up
and said "Mr. President, we are
going to march on Washington.
(MORE)
(MORE)
67.
JOHN LEWIS (CONT’D)
The people are restless. The Black
masses are restless. We are going
to march."
BAYARD
And this took place in the Oval
Office?
JOHN LEWIS
Three days ago.
RANDOLPH
Son, how are you?
BAYARD
(taut)
Good.
JIM FARMER
Before we begin, I received a very
distressing letter from Senator
Douglas:
RANDOLPH
Regarding--
JIM FARMER
Latrines.
WHITNEY YOUNG
I did as well, from Senator
Humphrey.
ROY WILKINS
So did I. Senator Hart. Isn't Park
Services helping out?
BAYARD
(continuing to scribble)
No, they are not.
68.
WHITNEY YOUNG
Bayard, aren't you the least bit
concerned?
BAYARD
What concerns me, Whitney, is the
three of you got the exact same
letter, but instead of looking at
the President's brother, who likely
had them sent, you're looking at
me. The issue of latrines is easily
solved, if we had money.
(blunt/direct)
Each of you committed on behalf of
your organizations to contribute
two thousand dollars, but I 've yet
to see one check.
JIM FARMER
Bayard, we're each dealing with our
own economic constraints--
BAYARD
Which is why I am proposing-- The
March should form a coalition with
the Unions; with the AFL-CIO and
the UAW--
ROY WILKINS
Both of whom are against a two-day
event, and measures directed at the
White House.
BAYARD
(ignoring Roy)
Chief, you're on the AFL Council.
RANDOLPH
I'm not sure about Meany, but Mr.
Reuther at the UAW does in fact
prefer a one-day march and no White
House event.
them to-- (to Bayard) (to Roy) We must limit this to one
BAYARD (CONT’D)
First you tried to get me fired,
and now you want to see the whole
march destroyed.
WHITNEY YOUNG
Bayard, let's not point fingers.
ROY WILKINS
Did I wake up one morning and say
to myself, "Let's stage the largest
march ever, and get former-
communist-ex-convict-quaker Bayard
Rustin to pull it altogether? No, I
did not! But once we signed on,
we're in it, no matt er what.
(before Bayard interrupts)
If you would stop being so goddamn
willful and accept the inevitable
now, instead of later, when
economics force you to, it will
give the appearance of unity and
strength. It's called being
strategic.
RANDOLPH
I realize this may feel l ike an
attenuation of everything we fought
for.
BAYARD
Because that's exactly what it is.
A two-day event will make it clear
to Kennedy, Hoover, whomever, we
will not back down or back away.
RANDOLPH
If you allow Roy this one win--
MARTIN
Bayard, Bayard-- You have Chief,
you have me, Dr. Hedgeman, John.
(MORE)
(MORE)
70.
MARTIN (CONT’D)
MARTIN (CONT’D)
And when he isn't behaving like a
modern day Cassandra foreseeing
doom, you have Jim. An uneasy
alliance, but an alliance
nonetheless.
ANNA HEDGEMAN
If I'm not asking attendees to get
arrested at the White House, or,
Heaven forbid, sleep in tents, I
could get more congregations to
sign on.
TOM
So, no lobbying congress?
CLEVE
Bullshit!
RACHELLE
Or marching on the White House?
CHARLENE
Or tents on the Mall?
CLEVE
Bullshit! Bullshit!
COURTNEY
Goodbye, CORE.
JOYCE
Goodbye, SNCC.
CLEVE
It's turning into a got'damn
picnic.
NORM
That first day, sharing ideas,
writing them on the wall...
ELEANOR
Bayard you've got to understand our
disappointment.
71.
BAYARD
Do I want this?! No! But if we want
to make sure 100,000 people show
up, we need help. And in order to
get the Unions and their money,
changes have to be made.
TOM
We could've raised the money.
BAYARD
BUT YOU HAVEN'T! If sisters Dorie
and Joyce went out to Westchester
and talked about growing up in
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, I know
you would come back with enough
money for not just one bus, but
t hree. The same with you, Eleanor,
Tom, Charlene. Your stories hold
the power to inspire supporters and
raise funds. We are committed to
the cause of changing history, of
altering the trajectory of this
country toward freedom. That is
what's on the line. Nothing less.
SPREADIN’-THE-WORD MONTAGE:
JOYCE
I'd like to share with you what it
was like growing up in Hattiesburg--
DORIE
...As a young girl in Mississippi,
JOYCE
...Where regardless of how smart
you were, or loved to read--
DORIE
Or never missed Sunday School--
JOYCE
You were told-- your dreams wer e
never going to happen--
72.
DORIE
...Weren't possible, because of
what you looked like--
JOYCE
...Because of the color of your
skin.
SERIES OF HANDS:
RACHELLE
(calling out)
We got another bus!
JOYCE
(calling out)
2 trains down, 38 to go.
TOM
...My whole life, actually. My
father was president of the
Transportation Workers, Local 101.
73.
BROOKLYN!
ELEANOR
It's about interconnected, and
don't let anybody tell you
otherwise. As long as the Negro
workers are ill-housed and under-
paid--
CHARLENE
We just had the best idea, ever!
72 OMITTED 72
IN A SPOTLIGHT--
STEVIE/AUDIENCE (O.S.)
Yeah! (Yeah)
Yeah!(Yeah)
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah!
CLEVE
Be proud, be loud, show up!
EVERYBODY CHEERS.
77 OMITTED 77
78 OMITTED 78
As the Truck makes it's way down the street, a GROUP OF KIDS
run behind it laughing, their faces full of joy.
NORM (LOUDSPEAKER)
Mahalia's gonna sing and freedom's
gonna shout!
75.
ELIAS
The Lord want s you to know that you
are loved. He wraps you in his arms
and your fears begin to fade.
ELIAS (CONT’D)
His touch is his way of saying, you
are not alone.
ELIAS (CONT’D)
And where you once felt hopeless,
you now feel strong. And where
there once was doubt, you now feel
brave and alive, because you know,
you know with all your heart that
you are a child of God.
ELIAS (CONT’D)
And you have the right to love and
be loved. Let the congregation say--
ELIAS/CONGREGATION/BAYARD
Amen.
BAYARD
(calling out)
Tom?
TOM
Yeah.
BAYARD (O.S.)
On my desk is an Invitation to the
March, Dr. Anna asked I write for
Mother AME Zion's Church Bulletin.
My spelling is atrocious, so check-
double-check.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Also have Office r Johnson of the
New York Guardians come see me next
week.
(crossing to the Door)
Oh, and in addition to an FBI
detail now parked out front,
careful what you say on the phone,
as I have a feeling the entire
Kennedy clan is listening in.
He is gone.
The POLIC E CAR'S RED FLASHING LIGHTS. The MEN being loaded in
a PADDY WAGON.
A MAN'S VOICE
Mr. Rustin?
77.
ELIAS
I waited for you outside. Once the
shutters closed, the cops stormed
in, rounded them up like dogs. Why
the cameras?
BAYARD
The police sometimes alert the
press when there's going to be a
raid.
ELIAS
I have a wife, parents, six
brothers and sisters, a
congregation in wait. What if I'd
gone ins ide? I almost did. WHERE
WERE YOU?
BAYARD
Running late, thank God.
ELIAS
Or God's warning.
BAYARD
Ma Rustin once told me I should
only associate with those who have
as much to lose as I do. We'll be
more careful. Make wiser choices.
ELIAS
(turning to go)
I have to go. I--
BAYARD
(calling after him)
Elias--
BAYARD
Roughly speaking, how many
Guardians are there?
BAYARD
You're the only cops I can trust,
so I'm going to need every single
one of you in D.C., but your guns
must stay home.
As Johnson goes--
BAYARD
Then I guess we'll have to change
the law.
Bayard turns off the radio and SWITCHES INTO HIGH GEAR.
BAYARD
Tom, we need three press releases,
ranging from purely pissed to
questioning the mental well-being
of the not-so-beloved Senator from
South Carolina.
79.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Eleanor, what's the name of the
woman reporter from The Washington
Post? McNair, McNeal--
ELEANOR
Susanna McBee?
JOYCE
(holding a phone)
Bayard, Dr. King.
BAYARD
(crossing to his office)
I will not speak to any other
press, except her. And get Mayor
Wagner to call me back.
Bayard listens.
BAYARD
Thank you friend.
Bayard hangs up. Now that he's alone, his mask of authority
gives way to vulnerability and concern. A KNOCK ON THE DOOR
saves him from sinking any further.
TOM
(entering)
Here's purely pissed. Was easy to
write.
BAYARD
When I went to see Martin in
Atlanta, I a ssured him there would
be no incidents.
TOM
It's not your fault. Someone needs
to go dredging up Strom Thurmond's
past. No telling what we'd find.
80.
BAYARD
Years ago, I traveled the country
giving speeches for The Fellowship
of Reconciliation. This one time...
ELIAS
(beaming)
Is this the office of the famous
Bayard Rustin?
TOM
I'll finish the other two.
ELIAS
That racist piece of white trash
calls any famous Negro a communist .
It's a badge of honor.
BAYARD
That and fame, I'd just as soon do
without.
ELIAS
Too late for that.
(moving in)
I've been thinking a lot--
BAYARD
About?
ELIAS
What Ma Rustin said: Only associate
with someone with as much to lose.
BAYARD
And just who might that someone be?
ELIAS
Who do you think?
ELEANOR
"Devoted to non-violence, Mr.
Rustin claims: 'friendliness, not a
gun, is the proper weapon.’" She
goes on to mention your dedication
to justice and peace, and calls you
heroic.
BAYARD
Enough, enough. Get rid of all of
that. So last night, thinking about
the march--
CHARLENE
Run for cover.
Everybody laughs.
BAYARD
We need to provide toll booths with
leaflets so that those arriving by
cars know where to go once in D.C.
Courtney, take charge, and Charlene
would be glad to assist.
CHARLENE
I was gonna volunteer anyway.
BAYARD
It's just after 1. Early. Good
night everyone.
BLY DEN
My brother, long time no see. White
TOM
Blyden, what are you doing here?
BAYARD
Blyden!
BLYDEN
(joining him)
Mr. Rustin, suh!
82.
BAYARD
Bayard will suffice. I've been
hounding the Mayor about a project.
Today, he called back and said yes.
So, starting next week--
HOLSTERS/GUNS.
BLYDEN
I do not take orders from no
muthafuckin' Uncle Toms. Thinkin'
you shit, 'cause of that badge.
BAYARD
(even-toned)
Form a circle. Your backs to the
aggressor.
BLYDEN
How many niggas dead because of
that badge!
A SERIES OF
IMAGES:
BAYARD
You will leave your weapons at
home. You will wear white
identifying arm bands, a white hat
and carry a whistle. It is your
responsibility to create an
atmosphere of peace for all to
witness and follow. God bless you.
ELIAS
That was nothing short of heroic.
You weaving your spell, watching
Officer Johnson's respect for you
grow.
BAYARD
Come on.
ELIAS
Half of this music I've never even--
ELIAS (CONT’D)
"Elizabethan Songs and Negro
Spirituals." So you sing?
BAYARD
(entering with drinks)
And on two songs, play the lute.
ELIAS
They sure as hell don't grow 'em
like you down in Alabama.
BAYARD
Or much to my dismay, anywhere
else.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
God, no. I haven't played that
thing since-last week.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
(singing)
I n'er didst dream, e'vr the day
Such heavenly joy wouldst...
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Tom!
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Tom is staying here through the
march. I thought you and Eleanor--
TOM
Cancelled.
BAYARD
I'm sure you must be--
TOM
I'm good.
(sitting/marking
territory)
So Elias, I hear you're married?
85.
BAYARD
Tom...
ELIAS
And you attend Howard University.
I've heard of Colored passing for
white. Good luck with the reverse.
TOM
When I was sixteen, I brought a
Negro friend home for dinner. My
father told me he was not gonna
allow 'that boy' to sit at his
table. And that was the end of
that.
ELIAS
Your friend.
TOM
My family. I moved out and have
been on my own ever since.
ELIAS
Where I come from, we hold onto our
family, and they hold onto us, no
matter what.
BAYARD
I cared about him.
TOM
Who don't you 'care about'? I'm
sure there's some PhD student at
Columbia, or junior activist fresh
out of Fisk. Why don't you take 'em
to that bar down on 8th Avenue and
regale them with tales about Gandhi
and King. And then when it's
convenient, or when their feelings
become inconvenient to your need to
save the race, it's on to the next
one.
TOM (CONT’D)
Except this time, you actually
started giving your heart to
someone, who is clearly incapable
of giving his back.
(MORE)
86.
TOM (CONT’D)
(becoming emotional)
All the while, I've-- I'm...
BAYARD
Courtney, Eugene, more chairs. I
want the entire Team up here.
WHITNEY YOUNG
We're meeting on--
JOYCE
Yes sir, the 3rd floo r.
MARTIN
(to Bayard)
Roy's guest just arrived.
JIM
But it's so nice outside.
BAYARD
I hadn't noticed.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Wonder what they're up to?
MARTIN
We're about to find out.
BAYARD
Dr. Anna. If there any thoughts
which have been weighing heavily on
your heart--
DR. ANNA
Careful. Once the panther's been
unleashed...
The windows are open, which only serves to make the room even
hotter. Whitney, Jim, Randolph, John, Martin, Bayard, Roy,
Powell and Dr. Anna sit in a circle.
BAYARD
And with our three new religious
leaders, and Mr. Reuther from the
UAW, the Big 6 has turned into the
Big 10!
Applause/Congratulations/Etc.
WHITNEY YOUNG
It's very warm in here.
BAYARD
Yes, Joyce?
JOYCE
My sister and I have been marching
since we were 11 and 12. So, with
all due respect, sir, we are
nobody's 'them.'
DR. ANNA
Perhaps if those sitting in the
windows moved, there's a slight
chance a breeze might find its way
inside.
88.
RANDOLPH
Given this will probably be one of
our final meetings before the
March, Bayard--
RANDOLPH
I repeat, given this will be one of
the last times--
BAYARD
With all my heart.
BAYARD
Hypothetically speaking?
Adam nods.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
I'd send them on their way. Unless
the person in question was me.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Julia and Janifer Rustin raised me
to be humble and never brag. But
seeing as no one on The Team was--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Blyden, are you a Quaker?
BLYDEN
Hell no!
BAYARD
...They'll speak instead. Norm, how
many First Aid Stations have been
secured?
NORM
22, run by teams of mostly Negro
medical practitioners.
BAYARD
Water.
TOM
There will be six water tanks,
1,500 gallons each, insuring that
the 27 portable founta ins are
operational all day long.
BAYARD
Transportation.
RACHELLE
All in all, we have 2,220 chartered
buses. CORE North Carolina, 11
buses, SNCC Mississippi, 7.
BAYARD
And Reverend Powell's church?
RACHELLE
They've chartered 5. I could
continue, state by state, but Joyce-
-
JOYCE
We have 40 Freedom trains, and
thanks to the UAW, 6 chartered
flights, bringing workers from
Chicago, Grand Rapids, Flint, 86A.
JOY CE (CONT’D)
Detroit, Rochester, Syracuse and
New York.
90.
RACHELLE
Also, per Mr. Rustin's request, the
Mayor approved the implementation
of the subway rush hour schedule at
5 a.m., so that passengers can make
their 6 a.m. bus departures the day
of.
BAYARD
Blyden, who are The Guardians?
BLYDEN
A fraternal order of NYC's Black
police.
BAYARD
And how many will be in Washington
D.C. to ensure a safe and peaceful
march.
BLYDEN
Over a thousand.
BAYARD
Latrines?
COURTNEY
EL EANOR
ELEANOR
Harry Belafonte, Marlon Brando,
James Baldwin, Charlton Heston--
JIM FARMER
Moses.
ELEANOR
Diahann Carroll, Sammy Davis Jr.
Lena Horne, Burt Lancaster, will
also be in attendance.
BAYARD
All of which has been achieved in
seven weeks. And that is why I
would never send me on my way,
hypothetical or otherwise.
91.
JOHN LEWIS
Check and mate.
WHITNEY YOUNG
How did so much get accomplished in
such a short amount of time.
CHARLENE
By working 12 to 15 hours a day,
every day, and also because of Mr.
Bayard, who--
MARTIN
(to Randolph)
Now what ?
MARTIN
What does this have to do with--
FEAR.
DR. ANNA
I am done. Done. I look at this
program, and I do not see one
woman's name. Not Ella Baker, or
Diane Nash. Not Dorothy Height,
Gloria Richardson, Prince Lee,
Myrlie Evers, Rosa Parks or Daisy
Bates. Not-not-not-not-not. Jim?
JIM FARMER
Well, umm, Roy-Martin-Bayard,
correct me if I'm wrong, but a
decision was made early on, that
only leaders of the participating
organizations would be allowed to
speak.
MARTIN
That also means no politicians.
DR. ANNA
Congressman Powell, I am not done.
RANDOLPH
Dr. Hedgeman, might I suggest we
address the issue internally, and
reconvene once a solution has been
found.
MARTIN
Adam, you are a guest here.
ADAM!
RANDOLPH
Congressman Powell! WE. HAVE.
MOVED. ON.
RANDOLPH (CONT’D)
(gentlemanly)
Bayard, the floor is yours.
BAYARD
(cheerfully)
I'm good.
RANDOLPH
Meeting adjourned!
BAYARD
Evening, G-man! Please tell Mr.
Hoover--
CLAUDIA
Mr. Rustin?
BAYARD
Who is this?
CLAUDIA
Clau dia... Elias's wife.
BAYARD
Yes. Yes. How are you?
94.
CLAUDIA
Thank you for asking. I have good
news: My father has decided to
officially turn his congregation
over to my husband.
BAYARD
That is--wonderful indeed.
CLAUDIA
I'm so glad to hear you feel that
way. So, if you wouldn't mind
telling my husband it is time for
him to return home, to the path our
Lord ordains.
BAYARD
Mrs. Taylor--
CLAUDIA
I'd like to thank you for the time,
the inordinate amount of ti me
you've taken with Elias. But that
is over.
BAYARD
Claudia--
CLAUDIA
You believe in Elias'
possibilities. I know his
limitations. Goodbye.
BAYARD
I didn't eat, couldn't sleep.
Where's Courtney?
RACHELLE
He left an hour ago.
BAYARD
I'm going to miss my flight.
CHARLENE
Rachelle--
95.
RACHELLE
Time to go be a white girl.
CAB DRIVER
No. No. OUT!
The Cabbie reaches back and USES HIS ARM to block Bayard from
closing the door. Spotting the DRIVER’S HAND in the rolled
down window, Bayard quickly ROLLS IT UP, trapping the
DRIVER'S FINGERS.
CAB DRIVER
Roll it down! Roll it down!
BAYARD
Non-violence is a noble calling;
one we aspire to, but sometimes
fail.
(to the Driver)
Idlewild Airport, please. Handsome
tip included.
At the top of the stairs, Bayard and Courtney look down and
see Chief Wells and what appears to be a BATTALION of
DEPARTMENT HEADS, all-white, walking toward them.
BAYARD
Chief Wells.
CHI EF WELLS
Mr. Rustin.
BAYARD
Gentlemen, my associate is handing
out a map which details the
locations of key support systems:
water fountains, First Aid
stations, Lost & Found. I am also
pleased to report that over one
thousand New York City Marshals
will be present.
(MORE)
96.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
The Guardians have been schooled in
the tenants and practices of
passive resistance, and will
therefore not be armed.
CHIEF WELLS
That's not possible.
BAYARD
And why i s that? Chief Wells?
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Is it because a number of people,
specifically, a number of men with
skin similar to my own will be in
town?
BAYARD (CONT’D)
The last time I turned on the
television, I saw a pack of white
hooligans assaulting Negroes at a
lunch counter, and a white police
officer ordering child ren be hosed.
But to blame all for the actions of
a few would be unfair. As a matter
of fact--
(a helpful hint)
...That is what's called being
racist.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
You two. Something tells me you
might be the Engineers I requested.
ENGINEER ONE
That we are.
97.
CHIEF WELLS
(to Bayard)
The day of your march, the entire
D.C. police force has been
mobilized, along with 500 reserves,
2,500 National Guards, 4,000 Army
soldiers and per orders of The
Pentagon, 19,000 troops.
BAYARD
I hope you'll have something for
them to do, as they won't be needed
here.
(to the Men)
And whoever amongst you has direct
dealings with Mr. Hoover--
(To Wells)
Chief Wells, you strike me as the
sort who stands outside of the
door, never in the room.
(to The Men)
...Let him know that on August
28th, black, white, young, old,
rich, working class, poor will
descend on Washington D.C., and
there is nothing he can do to stop
it. Seeing as he's listening in on
all my calls anyway, I'll tell him
myself.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
I need a sound system which allows
someone speaking or singing here,
to be heard all the way back there.
ENGINEER ONE
No such system exists.
BAYARD
Then you must invent one, because
sound is how we turn a crowd into
an audience.
JIM FARMER
And as each of our accomplished
heroines rises, Chief would
proclaim their remarkable deeds to
the world.
DR. ANNA
So seen, but not heard?
JIM FARMER
They each could write their own
introduction. And, and we have
asked Dorothy Height, president of
the National Council of--
DR. ANNA
I know Mrs. Height.
JIM FARMER
...To join the Big 6.
DR. ANNA
With all due respect, Mr. Randolph,
a woman should introduce them, and
do not ask for recommendations as a
number of women have informed me
they will not be participating in
the march.
RANDOLPH
That is unfortunate to hear.
DR. ANNA
What is unfortunate, sir, are the
circumstances which led to their
decision.
ROY WILKINS
Bayard! Perfect timing! There's a
chair right next to me. Sit!
WHITNEY YOUNG
What's the word from Washington?
99.
BAYARD
We need 16 to 20 thousand dollars
for a sound system, and no, we do
not have it, and yes, Jim, it's a
disaster. But it will be solved.
CLEVE
Big problem. The official March on
Washington button: white hand on
left, black hand on right. This
one, the reverse. Someone is
selling counterfeit buttons and
robbing us blind.
BAYARD
I'll handle it.
CLEVE
How?
BAYARD
I'll have The Guardians beat 'em to
a pul p.
CLEVE
Good!
JOHN LEWIS
Bayard, how are the numbers?
BAYARD
Rachelle--
RACHELLE
Our latest estimate: 88,000.
JIM FARMER
If we have one person less than
100,000--
ROY WILKINS
Interesting enough, the last couple
of days Congressman Powell has been
hounding me, demanding he speak at
the March. Do you want to know why?
(relishing the attention)
Aunt Bess is throwing a cookout--
RANDOLPH
Aunt Bess?
WHITNEY YOUNG
Nobo dy has an Auntie named Bess.
Aunt Wilhelmina, Aunt Frankie--
100.
ROY WILKINS
I have an Aunt Bess, and 20 guests
have been confirmed. How many
should she cook for?
(zeroing in on--)
Tom?
TOM
19, 20.
ROY WILKINS
By the time cousins invite cousins,
and neighbors hear from neighbors,
Aunt Bess best be cooking for at
least 50. Adam smells success!
CLEVE
He sure as hell ain't smelling
ribs, cause with a name like Aunt
Bess, you know she can't cook!
LAUGHTER.
ROY WILKINS
Mr . Deputy Director, you best be
cooking for 200,000. You heard it
here first!
JIM FARMER
I don't see the March demands in
the program. They should be heard.
JOHN LEWIS
Bayard, you should read them.
BAYARD
Fifteen days from now, if
everything goes as planned, you can
list me as Trash Collector. Chief,
this has been your dream for many
years. I nominate Asa Philip
Randolph!
RANDOLPH
Gentlemen, ladies. Thank you. Thank
you all.
101.
BAYARD
Now, unless there is anything else--
WHITNEY YOUNG
Pledge Cards? Feels a bit off-
putting, begging the day of?
JOHN LEWIS
(reading the pledge)
"I do solemnly swear to commit
myself to the civil-rights
struggle, and do pledge my heart,
mind and body unequivocally and
without regard to personal
sacrifice, to the achievement of
social peace through social
justice."
ELIAS
My wife-- Her father is retiring
and is passing his church on to me.
BAYARD
She called to tell me.
ELIAS
Did she also tell you she is
pregnant?
BAYARD
Elias, you may think you are
killing off one aspect of yourself,
but you're not. You're killing all
of yourself.
ELIAS
I am a married man, about to be a
father, and you, sir, are a sick
man. You need to stop following me.
BAYARD
She also implied she hadn't heard
from you. Have you visited this
park at night?
ELIAS
'For the desires of the flesh are
against the spirit, and the desire
of the spirit are against the
flesh. For these are opposed to
each other...
BAYARD
To keep you from doing that which
you most desire.'
BAYARD
The Council of Churches has
committed to build 80,000 box
lunches, the evening before.
Correct? CORRECT?
RACHELLE
Yes.
BAYARD
Yes. Peanut butter and jelly,
correct?
RACHELLE
We were talking--
BAYARD
Don't answer that. Who's we?
RACHELLE
The girls and myself, and decided
cheese sandwi ches would be so much
better.
BAYARD
No. Peanut butter and jelly.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
DON'T. What is the one word you've
heard me say over and over?
Eleanor?
ELEANOR
Details.
BAYARD
It's going to be over 80 degrees.
Cheese spoils. Details!
104.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
You should know better; should have
known better! Details.
When Bayard sees the FACES of THE TEAM, their hurt and
confusion, it's too much for him to bear. He starts walking,
then RUNS FOR THE STAIRS.
MUSTE (V.O.)
The charge:
"Lewd vagrancy."
YOUNG BAYARD
(mumbling)
Guilty.
BAYARD
GUILTY.
TOM (O.S.)
Bayard...
BAYARD
Two men. I'd seen them earlier. I
was lonely, alone.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
Stupid. I should have known. I
should have--
105.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
I'd gone to prison over my beliefs.
Proud.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
For the first time ever, I felt
ashamed of who I was--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
...What I was--
Flash--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
...What I desired.
Flash--
BAYARD (CONT’D)
And no matter how hard I fight and
flaunt and believe, it's still
there. And in rooms where no one
looks like me, or behaves like me,
I distract myself by being defiant.
All the while, inside is the fear
and shame I keep hidden, even from
myself. And now that everyone
knows.
TOM
Good. GOOD.
BAYARD
Martin. Alone.
BAYARD
You are one of the smartest men I
know, so explain to me why, with
all that is left undone, do I find
myself forced to yet again justify
my existence. Each of us has been
taught, in ways both cunning and
cruel, that we are inadequate,
incomplete. And the easiest way to
combat the feeling of not being
enough, is to find someone we
consider less than. Less than
because they are poorer than us, or
darker than us, or desire someone
who our church and our laws say
they should not desire. And when we
tell ourselves such lies, st art to
live and believe such lies, we do
the work of the oppressors by
oppressing ourselves. Strom
Thurmond and Hoover don't give a
shit about me. What they really
want to destroy is all of us coming
together and demanding this country
change. Are they expecting my
resignation?
MARTIN
Some are.
BAYARD
Then they're going to have to fire
me, because I will not resign. On
the day that I was born black, I
was also born a homosexual. They
either believe in freedom and
justice for all, or they do not.
107.
ELEANOR
Bayard! Tom and I decided to put
out a press release announcing the
celebrity contingent coming to the
march.
BAYARD
A bit of chum before the sharks
swallow me whole.
BAYARD
Is that how you intend to dress for
my execution?
TOM
My widow's veil is at the cleaners.
BAYARD
This entire time, you've been
waiting for me to offer something I
I'm not ready to give. Maybe when
I'm older, and most of the battles
have been won, I'll free myself to
fall in love. But until then I want
you to know, you are my family. No
secrets, no shame, just love.
RANDOLPH
....And as for Senator Thurmond's
accusations, I am dismayed that
there are men who, wrapping
themselves in a mantle of Christian
morality, would violate the most
elementary conceptions of human
decency, privacy and humility in
order to persecute other men.
Bayard is silent/stunned.
BAYARD
Jesus walked this lonesome valley.
He had to walk it by Himself;
(MORE)
110.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
BAYARD (CONT’D)
(hums the next line)
I hope and pray, folks come today.
JOURNALISTS
(overlapping)
--Mr. Rustin, where's everybody? --
Where's your one hundred thousand? -
-It's 8 o'clock and I see 75
people, tops.
BAYARD
"Alabama, Wisconsin, Nevada-- Union
Station, Interstate 66...”
(calling out)
I'd say around 10. Wouldn't you
agree?
ELEANOR
Agreed.
ROY WILKINS
(standing nearby)
I called it first? Aunt Bess
brought the entire human race.
RANDOLPH
Son, I am afraid this isn't 100,000
people. I so wish Lucille was here.
BAYARD
When Mahalia sings, angels descend.
The SONG ENDS. As the MASSES ROAR, Randolph's eyes fill with
tears.
MAHALIA JACKSON
(calling out)
Tell'em about the dream.
MARTIN
Let freedom ring from the mighty
mountains of New York. Let freedom
ring from the heightening
Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let
freedom ring from the snowcapped
Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom
ring from the curvacious slopes of
California. But not only that, let
freedom ring from Stone Mountain of
Georgia. Let freedom ring from
Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let
freedom ring from every hill and
molehill of Mississippi. From every
mountainside, let freedom ring.
OSSIE
And now I bring to you, the
executive director of the March on
Washington. The man who organized
this whole thing, Bayard Rustin!
BAYARD
Ladies and Gentlemen! The first
demand is: that we have effective
civil rights legislation. No
compromise! No filibuster!
(MORE)
(MORE)
113.
BAYARD (CONT’D)
And that it includes public
accommodation, decent housing,
integrated education, and the right
to vote! WHAT DO YOU SAY?!
DR. ANNA
Bayard, when I was a girl, every
night my father would ask, "Have
you been useful today?" I'm more
than certain that has been true for
you most of your life. But tod ay,
my child... Today.
WHITNEY YOUNG
He was arrested a few days ago in
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, for
protesting against police
brutality. Prior to his arrest,
he'd gotten death threats.
ROY WILKINS
Chief, the President has invited us
to meet.
BAYARD
Don't let him get away with a
thing. Not after this.
RANDOLPH
Trust me, that will not occur.
JOHN LEWIS
You should be with us.
114.
BAYARD
A few weeks ago, I said I'd happily
act as trash collector if we pulled
today off.
ROY WILKINS
You are far more valuable to us
than a trash collector.
BAYARD
Roy, for shame! Ma Rustin taught me
no man is less valuable because he
picks up trash in order to care for
his own.
(to John)
Next time.
"In 1977, Bayard met Walter Naegle. They fell in love, and
were inseparable until Bayard passed away in 1987."
119 FINAL IMAGE: THE SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1963 COVER OF LIFE 119
MAGAZINE, FEATU RING A PHOTOGRAPH OF RANDOLPH AND BAYARD
IN FRONT OF LINCOLN’S STATUE. THE CATION: LEADERS RANDOLPH
AND RUSTIN
FADE TO BLACK