The Granite Saint: The Story of Jonathan Daniels
Monday on NH Chronicle
The Granite Saint: The Story of Jonathan Daniels
Monday on NH Chronicle
WEBVTT ♪>> GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOUFOR JOINING US.JONATHAN DANIELS WAS BORN ANDRAISED HERE AND KEEN.THE ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCHSERVED AS THE FOUNDATION FOR HISFAITH.HE DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO OTHERS,LEAVING A LASTING LEGACYSTRETCHING FAR BEYOND THIS NEWHAMPSHIRE TOWN.[BELLS]KAREN: AT THE NATIONAL CATHEDRALIN WASHINGTON, D.C., THEIR FACESARE CARVED IN STONE, THEIRACCOMPLISHMENTS ETCHED INHISTORY, CHAMPIONS OF HUMANRIGHTS YOU KNOW WELL.ROSA PARKS.MOTHER TERESA.ELEANOR ROOSEVELT.BUT ONE NAME, ONE FACE PEERINGFROM THE ROCK IS KNOWN BY FEWOUTSIDE HIS HOMETOWN.[BELLS RINGING]KAREN: JONATHAN DANIELS, FROMKEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AMODERN-DAY SAINT.HE PROVED HIS HUMANITY ANDSTRENGTH IN THE SUMMER OF 1965.DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE CIVILRIGHTS STRUGGLE IN RACISTALABAMA, THE 26-YEAR-OLDSEMINARY STUDENT STEPPED INFRONT OF A SHOTGUN BLAST MEANTFOR A YOUNG BLACK TEENAGER.SANDRA: JONATHAN DANIELS IS ANAMERICAN HERO, WHO DIED SO THATWE COULD ALL VOTE FREELY, ANDYET MOST PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIREAND AMERICA HAVE NO IDEA WHO HEIS.KAREN: AUTHORS SANDRA AND RICHWALLACE DISCOVERED JONATHANAFTER MOVING TO KEENE.HIS NAME KEPT POPPING UP.RICH: WE'D GO TO HISTORICALSOCIETY EVENTS AND WE'D HEAR THENAME JONATHAN DANIELS.WE NOTICED THERE WAS A SCHOOLNAMED AFTER HIM.THE MORE WE LEARNED ABOUT HIM,WE SAID, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT-- THIS IS NOT JUST A LOCALSTORY IN ANY WAY.KAREN: "BLOOD BROTHER" TELLS THESTORY OF JONATHAN DANIELS'SACRIFICES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.>> THIS IS UNLAWFUL.KAREN: AFTER BLOODY SUNDAY, WHENSTATE TROOPERS CLUBBED AND TEARGASSED PEACEFUL PROTESTERS,JONATHAN ANSWERED MARTIN LUTHERKING JR.'S CALL AND TRAVELED TOSELMA, ALABAMA.KING ASKED NORTHERN CLERGY,PARTICULARLY WHITE CLERGY, TOCOME SOUTH AND MARCH ALONGSIDEBLACKS FOR EQUAL VOTING RIGHTS.JONATHAN, WHO WAS STUDYING ATWHAT IS NOW THE EPISCOPALDIVINITY SCHOOL IN CAMBRIDGE,MASSACHUSETTS, PLANNED TO STAYFOR THE WEEKEND.HE ENDED UP IN ALABAMA FIVEMONTHS.SANDRA: MOST OF THE WHITE CIVILRIGHTS WORKERS WHO WENT TO SELMADECIDED TO GO BACK AND GET ONWITH THEIR LIVES, AND THATDIDN'T SIT WELL WITH JONATHAN.HE REALLY BELIEVED THAT IT WOULDBE HYPOCRITICAL FOR HIM TO JUSTSHOW UP FOR A FEW DAYS AND SAY,I CARE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR LIFE,AND THEN LEAVE.KAREN: AS JONATHAN BECAME MOREINVOLVED, THE STAKES GOT HIGHERAND THE DANGER GREATER.AFTER JUST 48 HOURS IN SELMA,JAMES REEB, A MINISTER WHOARRIVED WITH JONATHAN, WASBEATEN TO DEATH BY AN ANGRYWHITE MOB OUTSIDE A KU KLUX KLANHANGOUT.HE WAS THE FIRST WHITE CIVILRIGHTS WORKER MURDERED IN 1965.FAR FROM AFFORDING HIM RESPECTAND PROTECTION, JONATHAN'SCLERICAL COLLAR MADE HIM AMARKED MAN.AS A WHITE ACTIVIST, HOLDINGPEACEFUL PROTESTS, WORKING TOINTEGRATE A LOCAL EPISCOPALCHURCH, AND REGISTERING BLACKVOTERS, JONATHAN WAS MORE HATEDTHAN AFRICAN-AMERICANS,CONSIDERED AN OUTSIDE AGITATOR,A TRAITOR TO HIS RACE.SANDRA: JONATHAN REFUSED TO BEINTIMIDATED.AND IT BECAME APPARENT TO HIMTHAT IF HE CONTINUED TO STAND BYHIS CONVICTIONS, WHICH HE WA100% COMMITTED TO DO, THAT HISLIFE WAS IN DANGER, AND HE WASWILLING TO TAKE THAT RISKAREN: NO SURPRISE TO JONATHAN'CHILDHOOD FRIEND BOB PERRY, WHOCOULD SEE EARLY ON JONATHAN'SLIFE BUILDING TO A HEROICMOMENT.BOB: JOHN WAS 11 DAYS OLDER THANI AM.SO THE STORY THAT I GET IS THAWE FIRST MET IN THE NURSERY DOWNAT THE OLD ELLIOTT COMMUNITYHOSPITAL HERE IN KEENEKAREN: THEY WERE INSEPARABLE,NEIGHBORS AND CLASSMATESJONATHAN WASN'T MUCH OF ANATHLETE, BUT ALWAYS A FIGHTEBOB: WE HAD BOXING GLOVES IN THEGARAGE AT THE HOUSJOHN I DON'T THINK EVER STOOD INTHE CONVENTIONAL STANCE.HE JUST CAME OUT AND STARTEDFLAILING.KARE JONATHAN PREFERREDFIGHTING FOR THE UNDERDOG.BOB: HE WOULD GO OUT OF HIS WAYTO INCLUDE THEM IN ANY WAY HECOULD.KAREN: HE AND HIS YOUNGER SISTERHAD A RIGID UPBRINGING, HISFATHER A DOCTOR, HIS MOTHER ASOCIALITE WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONSFOR HER CHILDREN.BOB: HIS MOTHER WAS VERY STRICT,AND HE WOULD REBEL TO SOMEEXTENT.KAREN: MOSTLY JUST TYPICALBOYHOOD MISCHIEF, LIKE THESECRET CLUB JONATHAN AND BOBFORMED IN THE CRAWL SPACE UNDERJONATHAN'S HOUSE ON SUMMERSTREET.BOB: WE TOOK A BENCH IN THERE SIT ON, AND JOHN EVEN AT THATPOINT WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH THAT HECREATED AN ALTER, AND HE LEDCEREMONY BEFORE EVERY MEETING -- THAT WE HAD.IT WAS YE LOYAL KNIGHTS OF THEROYAL ORDER OF THE SKULL ANDBONES SOCIETY.KAREN: AT NIGH JONATHAN WOULDBREAK INTO SCHOOLS AND CHURCHESTO CLIMB THEIR TOWERS ANDSTEEPLES.BOB: JOHN KNEW WHERE THE LOOSEBOARDS WERE AND CONVINCED ME ONENIGHT TO JOIN HIM.TO SAY THAT I WAS SCARED IS AREAL UNDERSTATEMENT.WE EACH SMOKED A CIGARETTE WHILEWE WERE SITTING UP IN THER.I WAS SURE THAT PEOPLE WEREGOING TO SEE THOSE TWO LITTLERED LIGHTS ON THE END OF THECIGARETTES AND WE WERE CAUGHT.KAREN: IT WAS ONE AND DONE FORBOB.JONATHAN WAS A REGULAR.BO IT WAS A GREAT PLACE FORSOLACESIT, CONTEMPLATE.KAREN: JONATHAN WAS MOREINTROSPECTIVE THAN MOST KIDS.SMART, TOO -- HE JUST DIDN'TSTUDY.HIS TURNING POINT CAME ONE NIGHTAFTER SNEAKING OUT FOR A JOYRIDEWITH FRIENDS.HE CRAWLED OUT THE SECOND STORYBATHROOM WINDOW, CROSSED THEROOF, THEN CLIMBED DOWN ALADDER.BO JOHN SLIPPED AND FELL.HE MISSED THE CEMENT WALKWAY,LANDED ON DIRT OR WHATEVER.MAY HAVE BEEN SNOW.IT WAS FEBRUARY.KAREN: JONATHAN WAS BUSTED UP HOSPITALIZED FOR A MONTH.RICH: HE HAD A LOT OF TIME TOTHINK ABOUT WHERE HE WAS IN LIFEAND WHERE HE WANTED TO GO IN HISLIFE.I THINK HE FACED UP TO THE FACTHAT HE WAS STARTING TO DRIFT INA DIRECTION THAT HE OUGHT NOTTO.KAREN: JONATHAN'S FOCUS TURNEDTO THE CHURCH.RELIGIOUS FROM AN EARLY AGE,DRAWING A BISHOP AND A CHALICEON A FOURTH GRADE SPELLING TESTAND SINGING IN THE YOUTH CHOIR,BUT BECOMING INCREASINGLYUNHAPPY WITH THE FIRSTCONGREGATIONAL CHURCH HE GREW UPINRICH: JONATHAN WAS DRAWN MORE TOCEREMONY, AND THE CONGREGATIONALCHURCH WAS A LITTLE PLAIN FORHIM.SO WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL,HE -- NOT THE REST OF HIFAMILY, BUT HE CONVERTED TOEPISCOPALIANISM, AND THIS BECAMEHIS HOME CHURCH.[BELLS RINGING]KARE YEARS LATER, AS ASEMINARY STUDENT, JONATHAN WOULDGIVE HIS FIRST SERMON HERE ATST. JAMES IN DOWNTOWN KEENE.JONATHAN: THERE ARE MORE SOULSTO BE REACHED.THE BODY OF CHRIST HAS SOMETHINGTO SAY.SOMEDAY, AFTER I HAVE BEENORDAINED, I HOPE TO BE INVITEDAGAIN TO PREACH IN THIS CHURCHAND IF I AM, I SHALL REMIND YOUOF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PREATHE RISEN CHRIST WITH YOUR EVERYMOTION, YOUR EVERY WORD, YOUREVERY BREATH.KAREN: JONATHAN WOULD NEVERPREACH AT ST. JAMES AGAIN,GUNNED DOWN ON THE STREETS OALABAMA, PUSHING ASIDE17-YEAR-OLD RUBY SALES WHEN WHITE PART-TIME SHERIFF'S DEPUTYAIMED HIS 12-GAUGE SHOTGUN RIGHTAT HER.SANDRA: I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ACHANCE TO TURN AROUNNEITHER DID JOHN HAVE A CHANCETO TURN AROUND.AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW,SOMEONE HAD PULLED ME FROMBEHIND.AND I STUMBLED TO THE SIDE, ANDTHE NEXT THING I KNEW, I HEARD A--RUBY: SHOT GUN BLASTI HEAR SHOTS, AND I THINK -- ANDI SEE JONATHAN'S BODY FLYING UPIN THE -- AS IF IT WERE FLYINGUP IN THE SKY.AND I SAY TO MYSELF, THIS ISWHAT -- YOU'RE DEAD.THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BEDEAD.KAREN: COMIN UP, RUBY SALES ONJONATHAN DANIELS' COLD-BLOODEDMURDER AND THE LAST SIX DAYS OF
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The Granite Saint: The Story of Jonathan Daniels
Monday on NH Chronicle
Monday on NH Chronicle, the story of "The Granite Saint". The civil rights hero Jonathan Daniels grew up in Keene and fought for freedom and justice in racist Alabama in 1965. He was shot and killed saving the life of black teenage girl. In a special NH Chronicle, we track down the woman who's life Jonathan saved and hear from her the details of Jonathan's final, courageous act. Watch the full show:Watch Part IWatch Part IIWatch Part IIIMore Info:"Blood Brother: Jonathan Daniels and His Sacrifice for Civil Rights"Book by Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallacehttp://sandraneilwallace.comhttp://richwallacebooks.com
Monday on NH Chronicle, the story of "The Granite Saint".
The civil rights hero Jonathan Daniels grew up in Keene and fought for freedom and justice in racist Alabama in 1965. He was shot and killed saving the life of black teenage girl.
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In a special NH Chronicle, we track down the woman who's life Jonathan saved and hear from her the details of Jonathan's final, courageous act.
Watch the full show:
More Info:
"Blood Brother: Jonathan Daniels and His Sacrifice for Civil Rights"
Book by Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace