amplifying the power of advocates
Inspired by Bayard Rustin’s strategy and visionary tactics, we engage dynamic and diverse community leaders and organizations to help equip the next generation of advocates for justice and equal dignity.
the architect of advocacy
Bayard Rustin advised Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on nonviolent resistance and was the architect of the 1963 March on Washington. His global advocacy for human rights spanned fifty years.
Though his pioneering leadership shaped the Civil Rights Movement, his identity as a gay man was suppressed, leaving his pivotal role too often unrecognized. Today, the Rustin Institute honors his legacy by training the next generation of advocates.
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Inspired by Bayard Rustin’s tactics of strategy, organizing, and vision, we link the civil rights history of Seneca Falls, Selma, and Stonewall to present-day advocacy and civic action—especially in the U.S. South—to equip the next generation to advance justice and equal dignity.
The Rustin Institute, formerly the LGBTQ+ Institute, was born out of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (NCCHR). Launched in 2015, the Institute was created to develop research and education programs that connected academics and advocates. As the Institute’s programming and mission grew, it was time for the Institute to become its own non-profit organization.
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We carry Rustin’s legacy forward by:
Empowering Youth Voices
Elevating Courageous Leadership
Building Communities of Care
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Cross-generational mentorship
Nonviolent, democratic change
Community care as activism
Courageous, strategic leadership
Advocacy rooted in justice and dignity
“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.
Together, we can make history.
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