A global home for Black queer storytelling.
The Rustin Times tells the stories of Black queer people across Africa and the diaspora, from Lagos to London, Kingston to Minneapolis. We cover the news that shapes our lives, the culture we create, and the people building community wherever they are. We hold celebration and critique side by side, because our lives are bigger than the headlines written about us.
Why Rustin
We are not affiliated with the Estate of Bayard Rustin; however, we are exceptionally inspired by his story.
Bayard Rustin was a civil rights activist who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and helped lead the 1963 March on Washington. He spent his life fighting for economic justice for Black people, for human rights, financial freedom, and a healthy democracy. However, he was relegated to the background because of his sexuality.
This is the plight of many Black queer people in Africa and across the diaspora. Our achievements and hard work are reduced to nothing once our sexuality is known. We face discrimination and harassment from family members, colleagues, religious institutions, and service industries, and we are not afforded the same opportunities given to our counterparts who are cis and heterosexual. We carry Rustin’s name as a reminder that Black queer people have always been at the center of the work, even when history tried to write us out.
What we stand for
The Rustin Times is founded on justice, equality, equity, inclusion, and diversity. Through news, essays, interviews, and video content, we are committed to documenting our history while using the media to fight against attempts to silence queer voices. Our utmost desire is to be a relevant resource center and a beacon of hope for Black queer people seeking a safe space where their voices can be heard. We hope our work helps change hearts and minds, and celebrates the people in our communities making a difference.
A note on language
We know the word “queer” carries pain. For much of the last century it was used to wound our communities, and for many of our elders it still stings. We do not use it lightly. Activists, artists, and scholars, from the streets of New York in 1990 to Lagos and Nairobi today, have taken the word back and made it big enough to hold all of us: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, nonbinary, and those still finding their words. When we write about a person, we use the words they use for themselves. When we speak of our community, we reach for the word wide enough to hold us together.
What we publish
- News: LGBTQ+ rights, policy, and current events through a Black queer lens
- Culture: arts, music, film, theater, and the pop culture we live in
- Essays and Opinion: first-person voices and community perspectives
- Interviews: conversations with Black queer artists, activists, and leaders
- Community: the events, organizations, and resources that hold us together
Who we are
The Rustin Times was founded in 2017 by journalist Harry Itie. Our work has been a finalist for the NOW-Us! Awards in the Netherlands and Deutsche Welle’s Global Media Forum Innovation Lab in Germany, and our portfolio includes stories published by BBC News Pidgin and OkayAfrica.
Questions, pitches, or partnership ideas? Reach us through our contact page.