Anderson, Jervis. Bayard Rustin: The Troubles I've Seen. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1997.
This biography of Bayard Rustin details the life of an influential "behind-the-scenes" civil rights activist–including his birth in West Chester, Pennsylvania and his Quaker upbringing, his turning to communism for a brief period, his jailing as a conscientious objector during World War II, his teaching of Gandhian principles of nonviolence, and his social activism seen in his organization of the Civil Rights March on Washington and the founding of such entities as the Fellowship for Reconcilitation (FOR) and the Congress for Racial Equality.
D’Emilio, John. Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004.
John D'Emilio reveals Rustin as an intelligent and influential strategist during the civil rights movement and also explores how he found himself isolated at the end of his career–considered too conservative for many liberals and attacked for his homosexuality by politicians such as Strom Thurmond and Adam Clayton Powell. D'Emilio brings Rustin out the shadows and gives his contributions attention.
Jones, Marie Hoxie. Swords into Ploughshares: An Account of the American Friends Service Committee. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group,, 1971.
Marie Hoxie Jones provides a historical account of the Quaker organization which won the Nobel Peace Prize for its work during and after World War II.
Keim, Albert N. The CPS Story: An Illustrated History of Civilian Public Service. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 1990.
Keim tells the history of the Civilian Public Service–how, to avoid the poor treatment conscientious objectors received in World War I, the Historic Peace Churches combined to find alternative work for Conscientious Objectors acceptable to the government. Images help tell this story and show conscientious objectors employed at work camps, performing national experiments, and working at mental hospitals.
Monk, Linda. The Bill of Rights: A User's Guide. Alexandria, VA: Close Up Publication, 2004.
Easy to read guide to the Bill of Rights. Monk breaks down the Bill of Rights, amendment by amendment, and provide clear and simple illustrations and meanings of each.
Nations,United. Basic Facts About the United Nations. Lanham, MD: Bernan Press, 2004.
The "United Nations" was first used by Franklin D. Roosevelt in a speech referring to the countries who pledged to continue to fight against the Axis powers. In 1945 fifty representatives met in San Francisco to draw up a United Nations Charter beginning the international organization which has been dedicated ever since to peace, humanitarian aid, international law, and disarmament. The Declaration of Human Rights, a document used in this lesson, was written by its general assembly. Read this book to learn more about its structure and activities.
This site, produced in cooperation with the Mennonite Central Committee, tells the story of nearly 12,000 conscientious objectors to war who chose Civilian Public Service during World War II.
American Friends Service Committee-Quaker Values in Action http://www.afsc.org
This is the official website of the American Friends Service Committee, the Quaker organization founded to help conscientious objectors to aid civilian war victims. The site provides information of about the organization, current news issues, location of offices, and resources (web links, printed materials, and videos).
Bill of Rights: Primary Documents of American History http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/billofrights.html
Scroll down this page to a collection entitled An American Time Capsule: Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera. Here you will find the collection from which the Bill of Rights documents–early proposal of seventeen amendments in 1789 and broadside from 1950 of final version.
Center on Conscience and War http://www.centeronconscience.org/
Formerly known as the National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors, this non-profit organization was set up to "defend and extend" the rights of conscientious objectors. Its offers legal information and assistance.
P.O.V.-Brother Outsider/PBS http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2002/brotheroutsider/
This PBS website provides a listing of Bayard Rustin's work and highlights the making of the film about him, Brother Outsider. It also offers classroom activities and resources.
PBS: THE GOOD WAR And Those Who Refused To Fight It http://www.pbs.org/itvs/thegoodwar/index.html
This PBS website is an excellent source of information about conscientious objection during World War II. It provides contextual and statistical information about conscientious objectors, explores public opinion, and gives examples of all three types of conscientious objectors: non-combatants, absolutists, and alternativists. The site also provides interesting primary sources to investigate: from the diary of a conscientious objector who was the subject of a starvation experiment, to an audio clip of Lew Ayres, a non-combatant who served as a medic in the field.
Swarthmore College Peace Collection, Conscientious Objection in America: Primary Resources for Research http://www.swarthmore.edu/library/peace/conscientiousobjection/co%20we...
This website was created to provide information about conscientious objection resources located both in Swarthmore's own Peace Collection and elsewhere. The site provides a history of conscientious objection, stories and accounts of conscientious objectors, archival listing of primary source material, and links of other helpful collections or resources.
The National Peace Museum of Conscientious Objection and Anti-war Activism http://www.nationalpeacemuseum.org/index.html
A museum honoring conscientious objection and anti-war activism within and outside the military. Includes a history of conscientious objection.
