‘Rustin’ trailer: Watch Colman Domingo’s powerful portrayal of civil rights leader Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin was the mastermind behind the organization of the historic March on Washington DC in 1963
August 28, 2023
Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for it’s upcoming biopic Rustin, which is based on the life and struggle of Bayard Rustin. Rustin was an openly gay Black civil rights leader who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and was the mastermind behind 1963’s March on Washington.
Netflix released the first trailer of the biopic on Monday, which is the official 60th anniversary of the historic freedom march. The first look promises to put an end to the oblivion around the visionary’s work.
Under the direction of George C. Wolfe, a recipient of the DGA award and five-time Tony winner, Domingo takes on his inaugural leading role in a feature film.
In this endeavor, he embodies the persona of Rustin, a pivotal figure in the 20th-century's struggle for equality and justice within the context of American democracy.
Rustin served as an organizer who provided guidance to Martin Luther King Jr. during a momentous march and gathering, spanning a significant eight-week period as depicted in the trailer.
The teaser encapsulates Rustin's unwavering commitment to his beliefs, refusal to apologize for his identity, convictions, and relationships.
Furthermore, it portrays his innate inclination to challenge authority, even when these actions were directed against the very communities he worked tirelessly to uplift. The trailer powerfully encapsulates these aspects in just two minutes.
“A demonstration made up of angelic troublemakers such as yourselves,” Domingo can be seen telling a group of young activists. “On Aug. 28, Black, white, young, old, rich, working class, poor will descend on Washington, D.C.”
Later in the trailer, Domingo’s Rustin promises: “We are committed to the cause of altering the trajectory of this country towards freedom. They either believe in freedom and justice for all, or they do not.”
“He is a role model for what it means to be an American, what it means to daily, moment-to-moment, commit to democracy, commit to freedom, commit to possibility, commit to discovery, commit to passing on that which you know to other people,” Wolfe told Netflix.
