Barack Obama vs. Bayard Rustin on affirmative action, reparations and Israel

“Rustin” is a Netflix biopic produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. Bayard Rustin, the underappreciated black 1960s civil rights activist, certainly deserves an ambitious film about his life. After all, the 1963 “March on Washington” that culminated with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech was Rustin’s brainchild. Rustin, in a matter of about seven weeks, assembled a team that promoted the march and handled the logistics. This included security, transportation, seating, a sound system and providing water and restroom facilities for an expected 100,000 attendees that swelled to a crowd of 250,000. Rustin managed to forge cooperation between several civil rights groups and prominent leaders, often at odds with one another over the purpose and goal of the march. Who knew that King at first balked at giving a speech? Rustin convinced him. The NAACP initially opposed participating and argued it could sabotage President John F. Kennedy’s attempt to persuade Congress to pass landmark civil rights legislation. Rustin insisted this massive display of unity would give Kennedy the moral high ground to push the bill. Rustin’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering brought the NAACP on board, after which it become an enthusiastic supporter of what happened...