--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For decades, this great leader, often at…" description: "\"For decades, this great leader, often at Dr. King's side, was denied his rightful place in history because he was openly gay. No medal can change that,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/barack-obama-17_decades_for-decades-this-great-leader-often-at-d_1547032.jpg" --- # For decades, this great leader, often at Dr. King's side… ![“For decades, this great leader, often at Dr. King's side, was denied his rightful place in history because he was openly gay. No medal can change that, but today, we honor Bayard Rustin's memory by taking our place in his march towards true equality, no matter who we are or who we love.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/barack-obama-17_decades_for-decades-this-great-leader-often-at-d_1547032.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/barack-obama-17_decades_for-decades-this-great-leader-often-at-d_1547032.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/barack-obama-17_decades_for-decades-this-great-leader-often-at-d_1547032.jpg) > “For decades, this great leader, often at Dr. King's side, was denied his rightful place in history because he was openly gay. No medal can change that, but today, we honor Bayard Rustin's memory by taking our place in his march towards true equality, no matter who we are or who we love.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing Rustin’s contributions highlights the ongoing fight for equality regardless of sexual orientation. **In simple terms:** Honoring Rustin shows equality matters. Key Takeaway Celebrate and continue the fight for equality. Themes equality LGBTQ rights history Mood reflective hopeful Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - educational curricula - public commemorations - policy advocacy Key Concepts civil rights social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure inclusive histories are taught? - What actions today advance true equality? A Different Perspective Progress can be slow and face backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bayard Rustin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bayard-rustin-229724/) [Decades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decades/) [Denied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denied/) [Drs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drs/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Gay Medal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-medal-5773451/) [Great leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-leader/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Openly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-openly-5773452/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/march/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Medal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medal/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Openly Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/openly-gay/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Today Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today-honor-1249284/) [True equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-equality/) [Who we are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-we-are/) ## Related quotes > [This In Friendship - out of it came certain connections with the liberal labor establishment. Among the personalities that were involved were Bayard Rustin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-baker/this-in-friendship-out-of-it-came-certain-connections-with-the/) [Ella Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-baker/) > [We can't understand what we've accomplished on civil rights without telling the story of Bayard Rustin. And now, we must write the next chapter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perez/we-can-t-understand-what-we-ve-accomplished-on-civil-rights-without/) [Tom Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perez/) > [We like to think of the '60s as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X and a little bit of friction - no, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/we-like-to-think-of-the-60s-as-martin-luther-king-jr-and-malcolm-x/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [Today I will honor, cherish, and love myself. When I get confused about what to do, I just have to remember that I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/today-i-will-honor-cherish-and-love-myself-when-i-get-confused-about/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [Here is to my friend. Today I had the honor to stand beside him on this most important day, as he has so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/here-is-to-my-friend-today-i-had-the-honor-to-stand-beside-him-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Today, we honor our current and past heroes in the armed forces. We thank you for your time, service, and dedication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-we-honor-our-current-and-past-heroes-in-the-armed-forces-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Throughout America today, we honor the dead of our wars. We recall their valor and their sacrifices. We remember they gave their lives so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/throughout-america-today-we-honor-the-dead-of-our-wars-we-recall/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Happy Memorial Day to past, present and fallen soldiers. Today we honor you and salute you for defending our country and our freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/happy-memorial-day-to-past-present-and-fallen-soldiers-today-we-honor/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Today we honor all of the great men who have given so much of their lives to lead our country. Hope everyone enjoys their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-we-honor-all-of-the-great-men-who-have-given-so-much-of-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most feminists in France came to feminism after '68 as a result of the hypocrisy they experienced in leftist movements. In these movements, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/most-feminists-in-france-came-to-feminism-after-68-as-a-result-of-the/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [I think we have to keep working enormously hard to see that every single Indigenous child - every Australian child - has true equality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-bryce/i-think-we-have-to-keep-working-enormously-hard-to-see-that-every/) [Quentin Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-bryce/) > [True equality means holding everyone accountable in the same way, regardless of race, gender, faith, ethnicity - or political ideology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-crowley/true-equality-means-holding-everyone-accountable-in-the-same-way/) [Monica Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-crowley/) > [We have to remember that it's usually women who are making the health care decisions for their families… True equality would mean making sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-have-to-remember-that-it-s-usually-women-who-are-making-the-health/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [True Equality is what we seek. Perpetual peace, and an end to the Lies of the Patriarchy. The Culture of Misogyny will be no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krista-the-femitheist/true-equality-is-what-we-seek-perpetual-peace-and-an-end-to-the-lies/) [Krista The Femitheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krista-the-femitheist/) > [“We move closer to the larger goal of true equality with each woman who leans in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/we-move-closer-to-the-larger-goal-of-true-equality-with-each-woman/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Decades quotes > [Nature will eventually do what nature has always done. It will respond in a self-stabilizing manner over the long term with moderate variability over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-sununu/nature-will-eventually-do-what-nature-has-always-done-it-will-respond/) [John H. Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-sununu/) > [Music's free and music's for everyone to enjoy and express and interpret. It transcends countries and times and decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bat-for-lashes/music-s-free-and-music-s-for-everyone-to-enjoy-and-express-and/) [Bat for Lashes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bat-for-lashes/) > [I should have liked to get married, but over many decades I have lived essentially alone. I go to sleep when I'm tired, get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/i-should-have-liked-to-get-married-but-over-many-decades-i-have-lived/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [In a couple of decades you have half of the wells that are drilled right now, and you're talking about numbers in the millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/in-a-couple-of-decades-you-have-half-of-the-wells-that-are-drilled/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [Among the many factors that make a return to halcyon days of the first decades of the postwar era virtually impossible is the decline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gilpin/among-the-many-factors-that-make-a-return-to-halcyon-days-of-the/) [Robert Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gilpin/) > [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [It's funny, I used to say on 'That 70's Show', you could really put us in any decade, and it was about the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/it-s-funny-i-used-to-say-on-that-70-s-show-you-could-really-put-us-in/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [So a truthful assessment of how America is doing in the war on terror as a result of President Bush's war on Iraq is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olver/so-a-truthful-assessment-of-how-america-is-doing-in-the-war-on-terror/) [John Olver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olver/) > [... many folks take them seriously because they just 'know' that evolution can never be seen in the immediate here and now. In fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/many-folks-take-them-seriously-because-they-just-know-that-evolution/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Nothing evades our attention as persistently as that which we take for granted... the decades roll on without even a suggestion that perhaps the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-brady/nothing-evades-our-attention-as-persistently-as-that-which-we-take/) [Marion Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-brady/) > [My dad was a bartender. My mom was a cashier, a maid and a stock clerk at K-Mart. They never made it big. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-my-mom-was-a-cashier-a-maid-and-a-stock-clerk/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [This bill would allow an employee to bring a claim against an employer decades after the alleged initial act of discrimination occurred. Trial lawyers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-mckeon/this-bill-would-allow-an-employee-to-bring-a-claim-against-an/) [Buck McKeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-mckeon/) > [The greatest problem in Japanese politics over the last two decades is that we put off what needed to be done. We have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshihiko-noda/the-greatest-problem-in-japanese-politics-over-the-last-two-decades/) [Yoshihiko Noda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoshihiko-noda/) [Browse all 1,717 Decades quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decades/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For decades, this great leader, often at Dr. King's side, was denied his rightful place in history because he was openly gay. 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