My activism did not spring from my being gay, or, for that matter, from my being black. Rather, it is rooted fundamentally in my Quaker upbringing and the values that were instilled in me by my grandparents who reared me.

More quotes by Bayard Rustin

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"When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him."

- Bayard Rustin

Courage

"The organizers and perpetuators of segregation are as much the enemy of America as any foreign invader."

- Bayard Rustin

Adversity

"We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers."

- Bayard Rustin

Taking Risks

"To be afraid is to behave as if the truth were not true."

- Bayard Rustin

Facing Fears

"We are all one — and if we don’t know it, we will learn it the hard way."

- Bayard Rustin

Equilibrium

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"It is not what you look like on the outside, but what you are on the inside that counts."

- Beauty and the Beast

Belief

"It is the heart that makes a person beautiful, not the outward appearance."

- Beauty and the Beast

Belief

"The mind is everything. What you think you become."

- Buddha

Belief

"It’s not always possible to do what we want to do, but it’s important to believe in something before you actually do it."

- Might Guy

Belief

"Defeat never comes to any man until he admits it."

- Josephus Daniels

Belief