An unsung hero of the civil rights movement - Christina Greer

Prevodilac: Ivana Krivokuća Lektor: Kristina Radosavljević

On August 28th, 1963,

Dana 28. avgusta 1963. godine,

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech

Martin Luter King Junior održao je svoj govor „Ja imam san“

at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

na Maršu na Vašington za radna mesta i slobodu.

That day,

nearly a quarter million people

Tog dana,

skoro četvrt miliona ljudi okupilo se u nacionalnom tržnom centru

gathered on the national mall

to demand an end to the discrimination, segregation, violence,

sa zahtevom da se okonča diskriminacija, segregacija, nasilje

and economic exclusion black people still faced

i ekonomska isključenost sa kojom su se crnci i dalje suočavali

across the United States.

širom Sjedinjenih Država.

None of it would have been possible without the march’s chief organizer

Ništa od toga ne bi bilo moguće bez glavnog organizatora marša,

– a man named Bayard Rustin.

čoveka po imenu Bajard Rastin.

Rustin grew up in a Quaker household,

Rastin je odrastao u domaćinstvu kvekera

and began peacefully protesting racial segregation in high school.

i počeo je da mirno protestuje protiv rasne segregacije u srednjoj školi.

He remained committed to pacifism throughout his life,

Ostao je posvećen pacifizmu čitavog svog života,

and was jailed in 1944 as a conscientious objector to World War II.

i bio je u zatvoru 1944. godine

jer se savesno protivio Drugom svetskom ratu.

During his two-year imprisonment,

Tokom dve godine u zatvoru,

he protested the segregated facilities from within.

iznutra je protestovao zbog odvojenih objekata.

Wherever Rustin went,

Gde god da je Rastin išao,

he organized and advocated,

organizovao je i zalagao se,

and was constantly attuned to the methods, groups, and people

i stalno je imao osećaj za metode, grupe i ljude

who could help further messages of equality.

koji bi pomogli širenju poruka jednakosti.

He joined the Communist Party

Pristupio je komunističkoj partiji

when black American’s civil rights were one of its priorities,

kada su građanska prava crnaca u Americi bila među njihovim prioritetima,

but soon became disillusioned by the party’s authoritarian leanings

ali ubrzo se razočarao zbog autoritarnih sklonosti stranke

and left.

i napustio ju je.

In 1948,

Godine 1948,

he traveled to India to learn the peaceful resistance strategies

putovao je u Indiju kako bi naučio mirne strategije otpora

of the recently assassinated Mahatma Gandhi.

nedavno ubijenog Mahatme Gandija.

He returned to the United States

Vratio se u Sjedinjene Države

armed with strategies for peaceful protest,

naoružan strategijama za mirni protest,

including civil disobedience.

uključujući građansku neposlušnost.

He began to work with Martin Luther King Jr in 1955,

Počeo je da radi sa Martinom Luterom Kingom 1955. godine

and shared these ideas with him.

i podelio je ove ideje sa njim.

As King’s prominence increased,

Kako je Kingova popularnost rasla,

Rustin became his main advisor,

Rastin je postao njegov glavni savetnik,

as well as a key strategist in the broader civil rights movement.

kao i ključni strateg u širem pokretu za građanska prava.

He brought his organizing expertise

Doneo je svoju stručnost za organizovanje

to the 1956 bus boycotts in Montgomery, Alabama

na bojkote autobusa 1956. godine u Montgomeriju u Alabami.

—in fact,

Zapravo,

he had organized and participated in a transportation protest

organizovao je i učestvovao u protestu prevoza

that helped inspire the boycotts almost a decade before.

koji je inspirisao bojkote skoro deceniju pre njih.

His largest-scale organizing project came in 1963,

Njegov najveći organizacioni projekat nastupio je 1963. godine,

when he led the planning for the national march on Washington.

kada je vodio planiranje nacionalnog marša na Vašington.

The possibility of riots that could injure marchers

Mogućnost nereda koji bi mogli da povrede učesnike

and undermine their message of peaceful protest was a huge concern.

i da potkopaju njihovu poruku mirnog protesta bila je velika briga.

Rustin not only worked with the DC police and hospitals to prepare,

Ne samo da je Rastin radio na pripremama sa policijom i bolnicama u Vašingtonu,

but organized and trained a volunteer force of 2,000 security marshals.

već je i organizovao i obučio silu volontera

od 2 000 službenika za bezbednost.

In spite of his deft management,

Uprkos njegovom veštom upravljanju,

some of the other organizers did not want Rustin to march in front

neki među ostalim organizatorima nisu želeli da Rastin maršira na čelu

with other leaders from the south, because of his homosexuality.

sa drugim liderima sa juga zbog njegove homoseksualnosti.

Despite these slights,

Uprkos ovim nipodaštavanjima,

Rustin maintained his focus, and on the day of the march

Rustin je zadržao fokus i na dan marša

he delivered the marchers' demands

izneo je zahteve učesnika u maršu

in a speech directed at President John F. Kennedy.

u govoru upućenom predsedniku Džonu Kenediju.

The march itself proceeded smoothly, without any violence.

Sam marš je prošao neometano, bez ikakvog nasilja.

It has been credited with helping pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act,

Zaslužan je za donošenje Zakona o građanskim pravima 1964. godine

which ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination,

koji je zaustavio segregaciju na javnim mestima

i zabranio diskriminaciju pri zapošljavanju,

and the 1965 Voting Rights Act,

kao i Zakona o glasačkim pravima iz 1965. godine,

which outlawed discriminatory voting practices.

koji je zabranio diskriminatorne običaje pri glasanju.

In spite of his decades of service,

I pored toga što je služio decenijama,

Rustin’s positions on certain political issues were unpopular among his peers.

Rastinovi stavovi o određenim političkim pitanjima

nisu bili popularni među njegovim saborcima.

Some thought he wasn’t critical enough of the Vietnam War,

Neki su smatrali da nije dovoljno kritičan u vezi sa Vijetnamskim ratom,

or that he was too eager to collaborate with the political establishment

ili da je bio previše spreman na saradnju sa političkim institucijama

including the president and congress.

kao što su predsednik i kongres.

Others were uncomfortable with his former communist affiliation.

Drugi nisu prihvatali njegovu komunističku prošlost.

But ultimately,

Ali naposletku,

both his belief in collaboration

i njegova vera u saradnju sa vlašću

with the government and his membership

i njegova pripadnost komunističkoj partiji

to the communist party

had been driven by his desire to maximize tangible gains

vodila je njegova želja da maksimalno uveća konkretnu dobit

in liberties for black Americans,

u pogledu sloboda crnaca u Americi,

and to do so as quickly as possible.

i da to postigne što je brže moguće.

Rustin was passed over for several influential roles in the 1960s and 70s,

Rastina su zaobišli u izboru nekoliko uticajnih uloga 1960-ih i 70-ih,

but he never stopped his activism.

ali nikada nije prekinuo sa aktivizmom.

In the 1980s,

Osamdesetih godina

he publicly came out as gay, and was instrumental

je javno razotkrio da je gej

i imao je ulogu u ukazivanju na krizu side

in drawing attention to the AIDS crisis until his death in 1987.

do svoje smrti 1987. godine.

In 2013,

Godine 2013,

fifty years after the March On Washington,

50 godina nakon Marša na Vašington,

President Barack Obama posthumously awarded him

predsednik Barak Obama mu je posthumno dodelio

the Presidential Medal of Freedom,

predsedničku medalju slobode,

praising Rustin’s “march towards true equality,

uz pohvalu Rastinovom „maršu ka istinskoj jednakosti,

no matter who we are or who we love.”

bez obzira na to ko smo ili koga volimo.“