The year 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of Jonathan Myrick Daniels, a Keene, NH native who, as an Episcopal Theological School seminarian, heeded the call of Martin Luther King, Jr. to go to the south and help register African-American voters. He stayed in Alabama to help with the struggle and was murdered by a deputy sheriff in Hayneville, Alabama on August 20, 1965, saving the
life of fellow civil rights activist, Ruby Sales. Events are planned to commemorate the legacy of Daniels in Keene and indeed around the world, including Canterbury Cathedral in England, where he is listed, along with Martin Luther King, as a 20th century martyr. In Keene, events to address the issues of civil rights, injustice and racism are being planned by organizations such as the Cheshire County Historical Society, Keene State College, the Keene Public Library, the Colonial Theatre, and several choral groups, in addition to St. James Episcopal Church. These are documented on our website, www.jonathandaniels50.org, and will be listed here. The committee’s culminating events will occur the weekend of August 22-23 and will include a showing of the documentary, Here Am I, Send Me - The Journey of Jonathan Daniels. Richard Morrisroe and Ruby Sales will both be in attendance at these events, as well as others who knew Jonathan Daniels.
