July 4th, 11 am
What the Declaration Means to Me – Views and Voices Across Our 250 Years.
Please join us in the Amphitheater this Independence Day (Saturday, July 4) at 11:00am, as we partner with West Stockbridge Historical Society again to present What the Declaration Means to Me – Views and Voices Across Our 250 Years. In this reading of words written or spoken about the Declaration of Independence, we will explore the ways in which The Declaration is both a document whose aspirations have been fulfilled and still a work in progress from the perspectives of the original drafters, as well as women, slaves and slaveholders, abolitionists, suffragists, secessionists, civil rights leaders, and even current politicians.
After a successful collaboration on the 2025 Public Reading of Frederick Douglass’s Fourth of July Address, supported by the Mass Humanities Foundation, TurnPark and WHS have decided to make it a tradition: celebrating the Fourth of July every year with a public reading of meaningful speeches or documents from American history.
The 4th of July reading let us gather not just to celebrate, but to reflect, learn, and rededicate ourselves to the ideals of liberty and freedom for all. Through this shared experience, we aim to increase awareness of our nation's complex history, provoke thoughtful discussion within our community, and inspire continued action towards a more just and equitable future.