Rustin, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Revival of Black Queer History
It is now the start of February, which marks the arrival of awards season. Following the Oscar nominations this week, many people are discussing the movie Rustin, which premiered on Netflix in November 2023. The movie tells the story of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin organizing the March on Washington. Rustin has also made film history because of Coleman Domingo’s Best Actor Oscar nomination for portraying the title character.
Numerous media outlets have highlighted that Coleman Domingo is the first Afro-Latino nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars; however, in the article “Colman Domingo, Jodie Foster make queer history in the Oscar Nominations,” Goldberry has also emphasized that this nomination is a significant moment in queer history. This season, Jodie Foster and Coleman Domingo’s nomination marks the first time in Oscar history that two openly queer actors playing queer characters are nominated simultaneously. And Domingo is the first openly gay Black man nominated for playing a Black gay man.
