The San Diego GLBTQ Historic Task Force partnered with Mayor Todd Gloria’s office and the City of San Diego Human Relations Commission last week to wrap up Black History Month by honoring ten San Diegans who have dedicated themselves to civil rights and justice.
The individuals were honored during the third annual Bayard Rustin Awards at San Diego City Hall on Friday night.
“During Black History Month, we celebrate the best of humanity and the realized dreams of leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bayard Rustin, recognizing that our shared humanity unites us through common dreams, struggles, and aspirations, deserving of dignity and respect for all,” said Rev. Gerald Brown, Human Relations Commission Executive Director. “We congratulate all of the honorees.”
The award recipients were nominated by previous honorees and current Human Relations Commission members in recognition of the values that they say embody the work of lifelong civil rights activist Bayard Rustin’s legacy.
San Diego Fire-Rescue Chief Robert Logan II was one of the award recipients. “The fire service helped me develop resilience and an understanding of our community’s diverse needs and realities,” Logan said.
Satomi Rash-Zeigler, the first executive director of the UCSD Labor Center who has worked in the labor movement for more than 20 years, also received an award.
“It was a privilege to celebrate alongside fellow advocates and leaders in our community, all dedicated to the values Bayard Rustin championed,” she said.
Other honorees included:
- Advancement Director of Alliance San Diego Miesha Rice
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People San Diego Branch President Kenya Taylor
- San Diego Urban Warriors and Community Organizer Daj’ahn Blevins
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Pamuela Halliwell
- Senior Director of Social and Economic Mobility at the University of San Diego’s Mulvaney Center Austin Galy
- San Diego Original Black Panther Member Jeffrey T. Jennings
- University of San Diego History Professor T.J. Tallie
- Sigma Gamma Rho Outreach and Recruitment Philo Affiliates Committee Member Anita Hill.
Bayard Rustin was a pacifist and a formidable organizer who worked directly with Martin Luther King, Jr. and who is considered a key architect of the March on Washington.
Rustin was also openly gay, which in 1960s America was considered a liability: he had spent 60 days in jail for sex with men in 1953. However, he never ceased to be up front about his sexuality and continued to champion equal rights until his death at age 75 in 1987.
