Benjamin Y. Fong and Paul Prescod, "Rustin's Challenge" (2026)

About this episode

The episode discusses Bayard Rustin's critiques of the Left during the 1960s and 1970s, highlighting his relevance today.

There was no more trenchant and substantive critic of the Left from the Left in the 1960s and 1970s than Bayard Rustin. Some liberals and leftists today valorize Rustin on the basis of his multiple oppressed identities and civil rights organizing. On the other hand, many others dismiss him for being compromised by his commitment to the Democratic Party or by his deep suspicion of the new forms of left activism that appeared in the mid-1960s. While Rustin certainly made some strategic mis-steps later in life, his challenges to the New Left, Black Power, and a regressing liberal establishment from 1964 until his passing in 1987 were insightful, cutting, and often quite prescient. At a time when the Left is in dire need of self-reflection and reorientation, Rustin’s work has gained a new relevance and urgency. In a new collection of Rustin's writings from this period, Fong and Prescod gathered together articles and speeches that represent Rustin's Challenge to the Left of his day. Some of the pieces of Rustin’s writing chosen for inclusion have been published before, but only in pamphlets or newspapers from many decades ago. Some will be published for the first time here.The volume…

People in this episode

Host: New Books Network

Guests: Benjamin Y. Fong, Paul Prescod

Topics covered

• Bayard Rustin
• Leftist critique
• Civil rights
• New Left
• Black Power
• Political strategy
• Historical context

Keywords

• Bayard Rustin
• Left critique
• civil rights
• political strategy
• historical writings
• New Left
• Black Power

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