Walter Naegle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Walter Naegle
Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice Chief Activist Robt Martin Seda-Schreiber & Board Member Emeritus Walter Naegle with Bayard Rustin's Medal of Freedom @ BRCSJ HQ!
Born	1949 (age 75–76) Morristown, New Jersey, U.S.
Education	University of Bridgeport Fordham University (BFA)
Partner(s)	Bayard Rustin (1977–1987)

Walter Naegle is an American artist and photographer, born in 1949. He is known as the partner of the important American Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin. Walter Naegle helps keep Rustin's memory and work alive as the executive director of the Bayard Rustin Fund. He also serves on the board of the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice in Princeton, New Jersey. This center is a safe place for the community, focusing on education and honoring Bayard Rustin's legacy.

Early Life and Interests

Walter Naegle grew up in Succasunna, New Jersey, with six brothers and sisters. His family was Roman Catholic. When he was in high school in the 1960s, he became very interested in the fight for civil rights for African Americans. He especially admired how the movement used nonviolence to bring about fair changes in society.

Education and Early Work

After attending the University of Bridgeport for a year, Walter Naegle joined VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America). He worked for a year at a senior center in Chicago. As his interest in peaceful action grew, he decided to speak out against the Selective Service System. In 1969, he wrote a letter saying he could not cooperate with the draft. The Vietnam War was happening at this time. He was called to report but did not go, and he was never charged.

In 1970, he moved to New York City. He worked as a psychiatric technician at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. During this time, he also went to night school at the Germain School of Photography. He started taking many photographs using special cameras.

Walter Naegle and Bayard Rustin

Walter Naegle first met Bayard Rustin in April 1977. He later described it as a moment when "lightning struck." After a few months, they became steady partners. Walter Naegle went back to school in 1977 at Fordham University. He worked in the university's offices while studying. In 1981, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Studio Art. He then moved in with Bayard Rustin in New York City.

Because same-sex marriage was not legal at the time, Rustin legally adopted Naegle in 1982. This was a way for them to be recognized as a family. They were together for ten years until Rustin passed away in 1987.

On November 20, 2013, Walter Naegle accepted the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. This award honored Bayard Rustin's important work, especially for the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Walter Naegle and Sally Ride's partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, were the first partners of a same-sex couple to accept this award for their loved ones. Walter Naegle said that Bayard Rustin's life was "complex" because he was Black, gay, and a political activist.

Books and Films

Walter Naegle has helped share Bayard Rustin's story with others.

• Troublemaker for Justice: The Story of Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the March on Washington, (City Lights, 2019) ISBN: 9780872867659 — He co-authored this biography for young adults.

You might also be interested in:

• Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin, a 2003 documentary film about Bayard Rustin.