Other historians have stated that the fact that Rustin was gay at a time that homosexuality was frowned upon had cost him in the long run to prove to others that he was indeed a leader who should have played a bigger role in the civil rights movement. As a gay man, Rustin was the target of American leaders such as Strom Thurmond, who had his entire arrest file put into the Congressional Record, despite the fact that his attempt to blackmail Rustin had backfired significantly. At the same time, he was also a target within the African-American movement with leaders of the time such as Adam Clayt...

• Word Count: 1949
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Graduate