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For nearly every major civil rights event you studied in school, Bayard Rustin had a hand in it.

Rustin was Dr. King's lead strategist and convinced him to employ the tactics of Gandhi with nonviolence and peaceful protests. Rustin organized and spoke at the historic 1963 March on Washington, but his name did not appear in the program and, until recently, was erased from the history he helped to shape.

In 2013, Rustin was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Walter Naegle, Rustin's partner, accepted the award at the White House on his behalf. Listen to President Obama introducing Bayard Rustin during the ceremony, then meet Walter Naegle who has a personal message for you about why learning LGBTQ history is essential for all students.