Colman Domingo

Aml Ameen

Glynn Turman

Chris Rock

Gus Halper

Johnny Ramey

CCH Pounder

Michael Potts

Audra McDonald

Jeffrey Wright

Lilli Kay

Jordan-Amanda Hall

Jakeem Dante Powell

Ayana Workman

Grantham Coleman

Jamilah Rosemond

Jules Latimer

Maxwell Whittington-Cooper

Frank Harts

Kevin Mambo

Carra Patterson

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Adrienne Warren

Bill Irwin

Jamar Williams

Hope Clarke

Zuri Starks

Delmiko Blair

Rashad Edwards

Gab Cody

Dan Sauer

Johanna McGinley

Jeff Hochendoner

Phoenix Southwood

Isabela Spurlock

Amir Carr

Jeffrey Jordan

Melissa Rakiro

Cotter Smith

Ivan Moore

Jimmy Bopp

Michael Alban

Dan De Luca

John Judy

Robert S. Gregory

Scott Deal

Drayton Walker

Chris Blount

Ashton Rogers

George Kelly

Rob Pfleghardt

Christopher Anglim

Devin Doolan

Marlon Bradley Ray

Gemma Davimes

Alexis Evangelista

Alexis Hester

Mario Latronica-Gerlach

Marissa Lily

Mia Sterbini

Valena Zitello

Chelsie Grant

Janet K. Lawrence

Corvynne Mikell

Jana Glover

Alexis Holt

Emily H. Gilson

Jackie Diehl

Kyra Radomsky

Cadence Reese

Chanel Minnifield

Zoë Bowen Smith

Hunter Ringsmith

Alexander Ramirez

Declan Thomas Desmond

Taylor Isaac Gray

Collin Antrim Miller

Jordan Aaron Hall

Cal Mitchell

Kedrick Faulk

Kobe Brown

Eli Derby

Jordan McNeal

Deryck Tynes

Sam McCrea

Wain Jenkins

Ivy Lightsey

Vanessa Nirode

Nefertite Nguvu

Avy Kaufman

Abigail de Casanova

Beverly Jo Pryor

Dominique Brock

Nathan W. Bailey

Rob D. Strom

Matthew Weiss

Gary M. Little

Wyatt Sprague

Jessica Jade Jacob

Krista Montgomery

Travis Klingler

Christopher Patrick

Branford Marsalis

Candace Orlandi

Eve Negley

Amy Wells

Melissa Forney

Katie McGregor

Michele Ziegler

Brooke Lee Smith

Xanthus Valan

R. Anne Stone

Mark Haber

Kevin Kyubyung Yoon

Matthew Haasch

Matthew Kay

Robert Trosky

Julius Denem

Mark Scott Friedman

Jason A. Iannacone

Aaron Joshua

Sandor Toledo

Ned Corrigan

George Loucas

Edward Gabree

Rick Kain

Mariette Amici

Tim Van Horn

Jean-Luc DeLadurantaye

Maxwell Oliver

James Peyton

James Goldman

Chad Knorr

Michael R. Petyak

Jamal Warren

Blaise Corrigan

Diego Pope

Zach Roberts

Derric J. Stotts

Leoisick Castro

Steven Weigle

Tommy Goodwin

Tyson Turner

Rick Thomas

Jared Frenke

Gina Limbrick

Daniel Fradkin

Sean Glazar

Sean Flaherty

Luke Shannon

Scotty Anderson

John Millward

Martin Valinsky

Austin Koncerak

Bruce Cohen

Mark Ricker

George C. Wolfe

Andrew Mondshein

Tonia Davis

Lenny Kravitz

Julian Breece

Chris Taaffe

Tobias A. Schliessler

Mark R. Wright

Dustin Lance Black

Barack Obama

Michelle Obama

Alex G. Scott

Daniel Sladek

David Permut

Philip Fornah

Dan Schrecker

Karen Teneyck

Hardy Foster

Jeremiah Noel

Martin Lasowitz

Colleen Connolly

Marty Murray

Samuel Noel

Mel Edmunds

Barbara J. Manning

Drama

History

Rustin

Higher Ground

United States of America

Brent Marchant

Unsung heroes often don’t get their day. Fortunately, however, for civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo), principal organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, he’s finally getting his due in this new biopic about the many challenges he faced in bringing this event into being. The flamboyant, outspoken, Black gay organizer faced much opposition to his proposal, including, surprisingly enough, from an African-American community that was apprehensive about the message his appointment and presence would send to a still-reluctant public in its support for equal rights measures, including such noteworthy figures as NAACP leader Roy Wilkins (Chris Rock) and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (Jeffrey Wright). Things were even tense at times between Rustin and his longtime friend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Aml Ameen), for whom Rustin once served as his chief aide and advisor. Then there was Rustin’s sexual orientation, a matter he didn’t exactly hide, especially in his less-than-discreet relationship with married preacher Elias Taylor (Johnny Ramey), something other activists feared could undo all the progress they had made up to that time. But, as a determined champion, Rustin forged ahead, despite these hardships, culminating in the largest peaceful protest ever staged in the nation’s capital. To the film’s credit, director George C. Wolfe has compiled an informative period piece biography, even if the approach is somewhat conventional and, admittedly, gets off to a rather rocky start in the first half hour. However, that’s made up for by a strong second half and the picture’s powerhouse cast, including Domingo (a strong Oscar nominee contender), Wright and Ameen, as well as Glynn Turman and CCH Pounder in fine supporting performances. While this offering may not be everything it could have been, “Rustin” nevertheless reminds us of what so many people fought so hard to achieve – and why it’s so important that we strive to protect those accomplishments against backsliding and those who might seek to undermine the fulfillment of those much-cherished attainments.

CinemaSerf

Colman Domingo is pretty good as the eponymous, gay, civil rights organiser who not only had the problems of his colour, but of his fairly open sexuality to deal with as he tries to organise a massive march to the American Capitol. The goal of the march is to keep the pressure on the Kennedy administration's promises to end segregation - but there are plenty from within his own camp who would happily do without Bayard Rustin. I knew nothing about this man, and Domingo's energetic and charismatic performance goes some way to demonstrating just how hard he worked to fight internal squabbles - largely with Chris Rock's Roy Wilkins and Jeffrey Wright's Congressman Powell - as well as raise cash, galvanise the teams securing everything from tables to buses, and deal with the Washington authorities who were never exactly co-operative. It's a personal story which doesn't shy away from his relationships with Gus Halper's Tom and latterly with a man who has rather more to be discreet about. Occasionally violent but not graphic, it's clear this was a man who was passionate about many things, even when being homosexual was almost as toxic for him as his colour! The conclusion is the stuff of American history, so we always know what happens - it's the journey of a man determined through sheer force of personality to achieve his aims that's the focus here, and I think it works rather well.

English

Colman Domingo joins Lena Waithe and Cynthia Erivo - In Conversation

Creating the Look

Colman Domingo and the ensemble cast of Rustin

Branford Marsalis scores Rustin

Rustin director George C. Wolfe, actors Colman Domingo and Aml Ameen talk to David Olusoga | BFI Q&A