Bayard’s Brigade

In 2021, Community Renewal Society took a bold step forward by establishing the LGBTQIA+ Faith, Race & Equity Issue Area and inaugurating the Bayard Rustin Fellowship. Along with our progressive and accepting member congregations, CRS is staunchly committed to justice, equity, inclusivity, healing, and advocacy, aligning ourselves with the LGBTQIA+ communities.

To commemorate this commitment, we introduced Bayard’s Brigade, an initiative designed to acknowledge the efforts of our inclusive member congregations and to facilitate connections between the residents of the Chicago area and these welcoming faith communities.

Bayard Rustin, whose name and legacy inspire this initiative, was a significant figure in both the civil rights and gay rights movements. He was an openly gay African American man, an uncommon and courageous stance during a time of widespread discrimination and prejudice. Rustin was the ingenious force behind the 1964 March on Washington, one of the largest political rallies for human rights in the United States' history, which highlighted the continuing challenges and inequalities faced by African Americans a century after emancipation.

Unfortunately, Rustin’s contributions were often overlooked due to his sexual orientation, political affiliations and unrelenting advocacy for justice, leading to his name appearing on several Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) watchlists. Despite these challenges, Rustin remained steadfast in his fight for justice, embodying the resilience and determination that we seek to encourage through our initiatives at CRS.

Explore the CRS congregations that make up Bayard's Brigade. If your congregation has yet to become a member of CRS and is inspired by the legacy of Bayard Rustin to promote equality and justice, we warmly invite you to join us now or reach out via email for additional information. 

For a comprehensive list of events that we are sponsoring and hosting throughout June, please visit our calendar.