Community Commemorators

Independence Day 2020 : Declaration of Independence

When: July 7, 2020, 3 p.m.
Where: Virtual

In commemoration of the Independence Day Holiday, the volunteers and organizational partners of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries bring you a community video reading of the Declaration of Independence. This historical document written and signed on the 4th of July, 1776 declared our independence from British rule.

The ideas in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and that the government is to be of the people, by the people, and for the people, were revolutionary. But these ideals were adulterated and diminished in their practice. The Founding Fathers, all elite, White males, afforded women few rights, participated in or were complicit in the inhuman slavery of Black people, and brutally massacred Native Americans. The Santa Cruz Public Libraries believes it is vital to not only condemn these atrocities, but to honor and recognize the ongoing dedication and importance of Indigenous culture within the Central Coast. We acknowledge the Awaswas peoples who have lived in this area for thousands of years, and give thanks to the Amah Mutsun tribal band for their current stewardship of this land.

In full awareness of our nation’s history, we read aloud the Declaration of Independence, in the year 2020, as a call to action. To free ourselves from hate and tyranny, to pledge allegiance to equal rights, to embrace our diversity, and to unite as a community.

When: July 7, 2020, 3 p.m.
Where: Virtual

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Related Video

Community Read of the Declaration of Independence