Going Against the Grain with a Purpose: Brother Outside: The Life of Bayard Rustin

Long before Martin Luther King, Jr. became a national figure, Bayard Rustin routinely put his body—and his life –on the line as a crusader for racial justice. Rustin’s commitment to pacifism and his visionary advocacy of Gandhian nonviolence made him a pioneer in the 1940s, and captured King’s imagination in the 1950s. In 1963, with more than 20 years of organizing experience behind him, Rustin brought his unique skills to the crowning glory of his civil rights career: his work organizing the historic March on Washington, the biggest protest America had ever witnessed. –PBS.org/POV

Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin is a truly inspirational film highlighting the life of Bayard Rustin, one of the most important and influential Civil Rights activists. Rustin was not only African American in a time of segregation, but he was also unapologetically gay.[i] However, Rustin’s open homosexuality forced him to remain in the background, marking him repeatedly as a “brother outsider.” Directed by Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer, Brother Outsider was part of the 15th anniversary season of the POV (documentaries with a point of view) series, which runs on PBS. 

Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rustin was determined to increase  tolerance and seek social justice  through non-violent approaches. In fact, the viewer learns that Rustin was brought in to further tutor King in non-violent strategies. His acumen helped the Civil Rights Movement to gain great momentum that it finally developed. His work organizing the 1965 March on Washington was one of the largest protests America had ever seen. Directors Kates and Singer are able to capture the full scope of Rustin’s complex, 60-year career as an activist, advisor, and public advocate via this award-winning documentary. Using archival material would serve as a bonus for the film as it added to the overall success of the documentary, and allowed us to see Rustin in action. The controversial topics in this film, which include his sexuality, his politics, her personal values and beliefs all make for an intriguing and captivating documentary film.

Kates and Singer uses Rustin’s extensive FBI records as a method of narration. Other rare archival footage includes ardent debates between Rustin and such highly politicized figures as Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) and Malcolm X. Also in the documentary we are able to see the Rustin in the later years as he continued to champion human rights including gay rights in campaigns around the globe. As King’s aide and former U.N. ambassador Andrew Young recalls in the film, “His commitment to justice was always very strong and very consistent. It was easier when he had allies like Martin Luther King and A. Philip Randolph, but when they were gone, he didn’t stop.”
All in all, Brother Outsider is a great first step in getting familiar with the late Bayard Rustin.
It is an important documentary that informs and acknowledges one of the great leaders of the civil rights who has often been overlooked and overshadowed by some of the other more prominent figures. “Bayard Rustin was an extraordinary American who’s been slighted in the historical record because he was gay,” says filmmaker Nancy Kates. Both Kates and Singer make great efforts and successfully correct the record, but also examine Rustin’s amazing life and how he taught the world about issues of equity and the fight for social justice.

*Netflix subscribers, you can stream this title anytime. 

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[i] Rustin’s sexuality would be challenged on various occasions, particularly during the 1960 Democratic Convention: One of the most interesting aspects of the film highlights Rustin’s determination and unwillingness to give up. Adam Clayton Powell tried to hold Rustin’s sexuality against him during the 1960 Democratic Convention. Powell threatened to spread rumors about Rustin’s sexuality if the Civil Rights activists did not stop protesting. Martin Luther King Jr., would be made aware of this threat, but this did not scare Rustin. He maintained his stance and continued to fight for what he believed in.

The Next Great Indie Film That SHOULD be on your Radar... "PARIAH"

 “Wherever the bird with no feet flew, she found trees with no limbs.” ~Audre Lorde

Wow…Powerful…Deep…Major Impact!!

These are all words that describe the 2011 Focus Feature film Pariah.  I had the pleasure of being able to take part in an ATL screening of this Sundance winning film, and I so thankful and appreciative of the opportunity. It is not often that you come across a film that just rocks your soul, and writer/director Dee Rees hit the jackpot with this beautifully composed film. Now let me provide you with this disclaimer, I will do my best to provide you with a synopsis that will not spoil the film. Pariah is the type of movie that can stand on its own…loud and clear!! I promise you that there will no spoilers just enough to get your palette wet enough that you will go purchase a ticket!!

Pariah is SO NOT HOLLYWOOD and guess what…it does not need to be either. I love the fact that it is so RAW, this was a great example of a “truth serum” film. And I emphasize Pariah is not a “PSA” film, its not a “preachy or messagy” film, it is movie sexual expression and the reality that exists in the LGBQT community along with partnering issues of sexism, race, the black family, love/heartbreak, friendship. As a heterosexual female it is easy for me carry on with my “normal” life, but that is not everyone’s reality. Even with all the glitz and glamour after the dust settles, everything comes to the light. Pariah takes us on a journey with Brooklyn teenager, Alike aka Le (Adepero Oduye) who is struggling to live up to her mother's expectations and at the same time come to terms with who she is. If nothing else she is definitely certain about her sexual orientation, yet there is this insecurity about where she fits in as a young lesbian woman and a blossoming writer in search of her authentic voice.

In addition to a great plot/storyline you have to make sure you have a cast that will reinforce the message via their character’s performances. And Dee Rees brings together a phenomenal cast that brings out the complexity and fearlessness of the character’s personalities. Rees does an admirable job of relying on her cast to shine a light through small gestures to convey the fears of Alike's archetypal father Arthur (Charles Parnell), who at the same time is as gentle, loving and sensitive as he is dominating. Then you have Alike’s mother, Audrey, (Kim Wayans) who is confused and trapped in a fantasy world all by her lonesome self. Now a character who stands out just as much as Alike is her younger sister Sharonda (Sahra Mellesse) who is best described as the “voice of reason”, she supplies a level of courage that within a blink of an eye it will sneak up on you, bite you and gone in a flash. Finally, Alike’s best and closest friend Laura (Pernell Walker) who delivers a stunning performance of another lesbian trying to fight past her own demons and come out on top. Caught up between a controlling, disappointed and worried mother (Kim Wayans) and a disillusioned, tired and caring father (Charles Parnell), Alike along with her parents and sister are all stuck in this smothering web of lies that is somehow keeping the family together, but at the same pulling them apart, they are stuck in a tug of war battle. However, what is unique about each of these characters is that they all share a common theme, a struggle to get just a piece of the “ultimate freedom”. Rees and her cast must be commended for their courageousness to fill the shoes of these real life situations. When it is all said they may be actors and actress, but characters that are being portrayed are actual people, they are your friends, your co-workers, your family. “Each of the main characters is a pariah,” Rees asserts. “They all have their fears, desires, strengths and weaknesses.”

Throughout the film, everything is about a transformation and what better way to show that through the costume design. Each person, especially Alike, illustrated an authentic, non-stereotypical style ranging from “the peacock” to the “conservative”. Rees also skillfully uses silence as a golden tool. Often times a movie can talk too much and it loses its appeal, but somehow this film does just the opposite. Silence is used appropriately and without using words the message is still crystal clear and in the forefront. Not only is silence a key factor, but the cinematography was off the chain. The camera tricks were phenomenal, the film starts out as this narrow box, but with each scene the picture becomes wider and wider until we see the complete picture. And for those that know me, know that I am sucker for some good poetry (in addition to writing my own), and Pariah will definitely not disappoint with the strategic execution of it through out the entire film. Damn I’m just got a chill just thinking about it…Prepare your mind for some chilling and moving scenes, I guarantee you will laugh, shed a tear or two, but in the end it will be a mind transforming experience. And to add a little musical blaze to this powerful fire, we get a special treat from Afro Punk artist Tamar-kali (brilliant artist by the way).

This film has so many dynamics that you could get a lesson in gender, sexism, patriarchy, love, and so much more. As a matter of fact Pariah would be a great tool to use in the classrooms especially on the high school and collegiate level.  I can see it now, Pariah will definitely become part of the growing African American Studies, Women Studies, and Gender Studies canon. Regardless of your sexual orientation, you as the viewer can definitely relate and understand the many struggles that are presented on the screen. Rees paints a true picture of what it is like to be the “pariah”. But at the same, being able to blossom from the cocoon and metamorphose into a beautiful butterfly. This film will definitely hit home for a lot of people, especially those trying to create their own identity, those trying to obtain that needed acceptance, or those trying to find that welcoming community. We all know someone struggling to come into their own, the next step is what do we do about, and Pariah is just that film to answer that call.

In the end the film does an excellent job of providing the viewer with a realistic yet hopeful ending. Rees’ makes sure not to package it with this pretty gift-wrap and bow-tie and I personally say “Thank You!!”. She appropriately brings closure to a film that will open a “surround sound of conversations!!”

Be on the lookout for filmmaker/director Dee Rees she is definitely on the path towards success, and Pariah is the perfect beginning to this journey.

“I’m not running…I’m choosing…” ~Alike

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (Very few times do I give a perfect 5 out of 5, but this one deserved it without a shadow of doubt!!)