Boston Bayard Rustin Community Event

The 35th annual Bayard Rustin Community Breakfast will return to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum on April 12th with former Biden Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre delivering the Keynote Address. Jean-Pierre stated, “I’m honored to join Fenway Health in celebrating Bayard Rustin’s legacy & the ongoing fight for equity in health care, civil rights & LGBTQ+ justice. Bayard Rustin’s life & work reminds us that justice requires both courage & community. His unwavering commitment to equality continues to inspire generations of activists & leaders including myself.” Jean-Pierre is the first Black person, the first openly LGBTQ person & the longest-serving woman ever to hold the job of White House Press Secretary. Jordina Shanks Fenway Health CEO concluded, “I’m incredibly excited to welcome Karine to this year’s Bayard Rustin Community Breakfast. Her story is one of persistence, power & purpose & I can’t think of anyone better to help us imagine the road ahead.” During the program Fenway Health will also present the Belynda A. Dunn Award for Activism posthumously to A. Cornelius Baker & the Bayard Rustin Award for Courage to Dr. Cassandra Pierre honoring their extraordinary contributions to our community. Founded in 1990 by the AIDS Action Committee now a division of Fenway Health the Bayard Rustin Community Breakfast serves as a beacon of HIV/AIDS awareness, advocacy & support for LGBTQ individuals, communities of color & dedicated allies. The event is free but registration is required. The event honors the legacy of Bayard Rustin who was the architect of the 1963 March on Washington but was publicly marginalized because he was a gay man. In 2015 I talked to Walter Naegle, Rustin's last partner about Bayard in this exclusive soundbyte. LISTEN