Developing leadership for a more just future

Inspired by Bayard Rustin’s visionary strategy and moral imagination, we nurture dynamic, inter-generational leaders and organizations working to advance justice and equal dignity.

the architect of advocacy

Bayard Rustin’s legacy is one of vision, courage, and moral clarity.

A principal organizer of the 1963 March on Washington and a trusted advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rustin helped shape the moral and practical foundations of the Civil Rights Movement. His work extended far beyond a single moment—spanning decades of engagement with human rights, democracy, and peace, both in the United States and around the world.

Despite his profound influence, Rustin’s identity as a gay man was often suppressed, and his contributions were too frequently overlooked. Later in life, he spoke openly about LGBTQ+ dignity and became a public voice during the HIV/AIDS crisis, insisting that justice must include those pushed to the margins.

The Rustin Institute honors this full legacy—not only the history we inherit, but the responsibility it carries forward—by cultivating leadership rooted in dignity, care, and collective responsibility.

  • Inspired by Bayard Rustin’s legacy of moral courage, coalition-building, and imagination, we connect the civil rights histories of Seneca Falls, Selma, and Stonewall to the work of today. Rooted especially in the U.S. South, we help people and organizations draw wisdom from the past to support leadership, civic life, and the ongoing pursuit of justice and equal dignity.

    The Rustin Institute—formerly the LGBTQ+ Institute—was born out of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (NCCHR). Founded in 2015, the Institute began as a home for research and educational programs that bridged academic insight and lived experience. As our mission and programming deepened, the Institute grew into an independent nonprofit, expanding our capacity to serve communities, cultivate leadership, and carry this work forward.

  • We carry Rustin’s legacy forward by:

    • Empowering Youth Voices through YOU(th) Belong, National Youth Advocacy Corps and the Rustin Fellows

    • Elevating Courageous Leadership at our annual IGNYTE Symposium

    • Building Communities of Care through our National Bayard Rustin Society Chapters

  • Inter-generational mentorship

    Rustin believed movements endure when knowledge, strategy, and courage are intentionally passed from one generation of leaders to the next.

    Nonviolent, democratic change

    Guided by Rustin’s commitment to nonviolence, we prepare leaders to strengthen democracy through disciplined, collective action.

    Community care as activism

    For Rustin, caring for people was inseparable from political work—sustaining movements required sustaining one another.

    Courageous, strategic leadership

    Rustin modeled leadership rooted not in visibility, but in moral courage, preparation, and strategic clarity.

    Advocacy rooted in justice and dignity

    Our work reflects Rustin’s belief that every struggle for rights must center human dignity, equity, and shared humanity.

“Bayard Rustin worked to build a society based on human rights for all, equal opportunity, and social justice achieved through democratic, nonviolent action.”

— Walter Naegle (he/him), Bayard Rustin’s partner and American Artist

Youth leadership programs

Annual cohort of young adults, 18–30, explore LGBTQ+ history, current legislative issues, and methods for building understanding.

Georgia Youth Advocacy Fellowship

Leaders, ages 13–25, learn community advocacy, develop leadership, and create change through creative expression.

YOU(th) Belong

Young leaders, 15–25, drive change through policy research, mentorship, and national collaboration.

National Youth Advocacy Corps

“Youth programs have been life-changing, from monthly YOU(th) Belong programs where I perform spoken word to the National Youth Advocacy Corps where I’m co-creating a graphic novel on the experiences of trans and non-binary students in schools.”

— Treasure Von-Holland (she/they), Youth Advisory Council Member, YOU(th) Belong Atlanta

community education programs

Four times a year, LGBTQ+ advocates come together to address current issues and solutions.

FIRESIDE CHATS

A day of LGBTQ+ history and advocacy held annually on Rustin’s birthday.

Bayard Rustin Day Celebration

Evenings of community celebration and artistic performance.

Front Porch Performance Series

A 4-day event offering cutting-edge workshops, bold conversations, and visionary speakers to drive real impact.

IGNYTE LGBTQ+ Symposium

OUR PROGRAM PARTNERS

Below are just a few of the organizations we’ve been honored to partner with.

Make an Impact Today

Keep Bayard Rustin’s legacy alive and support the next generation of advocates! Your contribution is more than a donation—it’s a commitment to equity, justice, and his vision. Please contact Tim’m directly to learn more about ways to give: 513-226-8720


Together, we can make history.

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Dani Alexander-Burk
Alex Audate
Kelly Banks
Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga
Kaden Borseth
Umut Dursun
Nate Esparza
Nehimiah Frank
Morna Gerrard
Jad-Evangelo Nasser
Phillip Nguyen
Adah Pittman-Delancey
Carlo Velayo
Peter Williams
Jenna Wright

Our LEADERs & Advisors

Tim’m West

Executive Director of the Rustin Institute

Tim’m West is an educator, youth advocate, poet, hip-hop artist, and author of several books. Tim’m had been an advisory board member for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights LGBTQ+ Institute since its founding in 2015. In January, 2023, Tim’m became its Executive Director where they focused on advancing LGBTQ+ equity in America through research, education, and strategic action. After a decade of being housed at The Center, the LGBTQ+ Institute is now its own non-profit, the Rustin Institute, focused on the next generation of advocates with a primary focus on the American South.  

Prior to joining The Institute, Tim’m led Teach for America’s national LGBTQ+ Community Initiative, advancing safer and braver classrooms for LGBTQ+ educators and students preK-12. He was previously Director of Youth Services at Chicago’s Center on Halsted. He started his career serving on the inaugural faculty at Oakland School for the Arts and taught English and coached basketball at Cesar Chavez Public High School for Public Policy. Tim’m has a B.A. from Duke, and M.A.s from The New School for Social Research and Stanford University. 

Walter Naegle serves as a strategic advisor to the Rustin Institute. Walter is an American artist and photographer who is the surviving partner of late American Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin, and the executive director of the Bayard Rustin Fund, which commemorates Rustin's life, values, and legacy.

Naegle serves as board member emeritus at the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, an LGBTQIA "safe space," community activist center, and educational enclave in Princeton, New Jersey dedicated to honoring Bayard Rustin through their mission and good works.

Strategic Advisor of the Rustin Institute

Walter Naegle