Randa Abid Fattah

was the perfect target.

And Hoover knew exactly who to pass the dirt to.

a media firestorm ensued.

And the big question was, what would happen to Bayard?

It was a question that Bayard had faced many times before, including eight years prior when he had worked with Martin Luther King Jr.

Since then, he had effectively been cast out, only returning to the movement to plan the march on Washington.

And now it looked like he would be exiled again.

For the first time in his life, Bayard didn't have to retreat.

Exposure didn't lead to exile, all because A. Philip Randolph decided to break the cycle.

Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one day left until the march.

That's it for this week's America in Pursuit.

If you want to hear the full-length episode about Bayard Rustin, check out The Man Behind the March on Washington.

And join us next week when we hear directly from journalists during the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam War.

That's next week.

Don't miss it.

This episode was produced by Kiana Moghadam and edited by Christina Kim with help from the ThruLine production team.

Music by Ramtin Adablui and his band, Drop Electric.

Special thanks to Julie Kane, Irene Noguchi, Beth Donovan, Casey Miner, and Lindsay McKenna.

I'm Randa Adel-Fattah.