Complaint of Bayard Rustin Against the Southern Railway Company
9/16/1948
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Though not as famous as activities of the 1960s, many civil rights activists were testing the same racial boundaries in the 1940s. Bayard Rustin later became an organizer of the March on Washington (in 1963) and an advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. But on September 20th, 1947, he tried to gain entry into the dining car of a Southern Railway train. After being denied entry because of his race, Rustin decided to take Southern Railway to court to bring the issue of discrimination to light. Though not as famous as later events in the civil rights movement, the actions of activists like Bayard Rustin during the 1940s would prove influential in effecting true change.
Rustin filed this complaint, shown on pages 5-7, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The case was then moved from the state court to a Federal court because the issue was between individuals in different states. Pages 1-4 show the petition for removal from the state court to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Rustin filed this complaint, shown on pages 5-7, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The case was then moved from the state court to a Federal court because the issue was between individuals in different states. Pages 1-4 show the petition for removal from the state court to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
Full Citation: Complaint of Bayard Rustin Against the Southern Railway Company; 9/16/1948; Civil Case 47-371; Bayard Rustin v. Southern Railway Company; Civil Case Files, 1938 - 1995; Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21; National Archives at New York, New York, NY. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/bayard-rustin-complaint, April 18, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
