Open to the Public!
Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) will honor the life, theology, and enduring activism of Ruby Sales. Join us for a “Passing of the Torch” Ceremony & Commissioning Honoring Civil Rights Freedom Fighter Ruby Sales ’98
Sales survived an act of terror in August 1965, when she, then a 17-year-old Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) volunteer, was shielded from a shotgun blast by Jonathan Daniels, an EDS seminarian. Daniels died instantly, saving Sales’ life.
Sales went on to be a “long-distance runner for justice.” She studied at EDS and shaped a public theology rooted in the resilience and intimacy of Black folk tradition that provides a balm of hope in an age of isolation and hopelessness. Sales’ theologies will be central to this event; those in attendance will be commissioned to bring these theologies into their work for justice in their own contexts in a unique “passing of the torch” ceremony.
The Passing of the Torch
Sales’ manifesto “A Balm in Gilead” will serve as the spiritual framework for the commissioning which will call for a revolution of values in an increasingly dehumanized technological age. Sales has long warned of the intergenerational divide between the Freedom Fighters of her time and justice-advocates on the frontlines today, noting,
“We are incomplete without knowing each other. [Elders] are charged with a responsibility to bequeath to the nation the resilient spirit our ancestors intentionally gave to us.”
The ceremony will feature a formal ritual of commissioning, where Sales will be joined by fellow Freedom Fighters and emerging leaders working for justice across the country.
EDS invites all faithful justice leaders to join in this commissioning by attending the event in person or by watching the livestream on EDS’ YouTube channel.
When: Friday, May 29, 2026 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm Eastern
Who: Ruby Sales, other Civil Rights Freedom Fighters, and the alum community of EDS will be present.
Where: St. John’s Chapel on Lesley University’s South Campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts (enter from Brattle Street)
Livestream: Available on the EDS YouTube Channel.
Watch On Being Interview:Ruby’s On Being Interview
Watch Ruby’s TED Talk:
Ruby’s TED Talk