Special MLK Kabbalat Shabbat: Guest Speak Keith Stokes

Keith Stokes, a noted lecturer on African and Jewish American history, joins us at Friday night services at 8 p.m. on January 17. He’ll talk on Civil Rights in Rhode Island in the 20^th century. Keith, who lives in Newport, has served as a Rhode Island Advisor for the National Trust for Historic Preservation along with serving on numerous regional and national historic preservation boards including Chairman of the Touro Synagogue Foundation, Vice President and Trustee of the Preservation Society for Newport County, advisory board of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society and board member of the Newport Historical Society. He is a frequent national, state and local lecturer in community and regional planning, historic preservation and interpretation with an expertise in early African and Jewish American history.  He has lectured extensively to regional, national and international organizations, providing training in the fields of African and Jewish American history. He is the recipient of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society’s Fredrick Williamson Award, Daughters of the American Revolution Excellence in Community Service Award and along with his wife, is the recipient of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities Prize for Creative Achievement in the Humanities. A former director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, Keith is president of Strategic Economic Planning and Development with the Mayforth Group, a Providence and Washington based government relations firm. He’s also vice president of the 1696 Heritage Group.