Kill the Grill and Read Instead: New Way to Celebrate the Fourth of July

“What is this July 4 holiday really about? It is something for which people sacrificed their lives.
Kill the Grill and Read Instead: New Way to Celebrate the Fourth of July
Staten Islanders sit in a circle, ready to begin reading the Declaration of Independence together. (Annie Wu/ The Epoch Times)
Annie Wu
7/5/2010
Updated:
10/8/2018

<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/july4.jpg" alt="Staten Islanders sit in a circle, ready to begin reading the Declaration of Independence together.  (Annie Wu/ The Epoch Times)" title="Staten Islanders sit in a circle, ready to begin reading the Declaration of Independence together.  (Annie Wu/ The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1817775"/></a>
Staten Islanders sit in a circle, ready to begin reading the Declaration of Independence together.  (Annie Wu/ The Epoch Times)
NEW YORK—As the microphone was passed from each person to the next, participants stared intently at their copies of the Declaration of Independence, listening to their fellow Staten Islanders recite the historical document in front of the equally historic Conference House on the South Shore of the island. (To see the slide show click here )

“What is this holiday really about? It is something for which people sacrificed their lives.” Founder and organizer of Staten Island OutLOUD, Beth Gorrie, thought reading the Declaration of Independence with other Staten Islanders would be a more rewarding and meaningful way to celebrate the holiday than with barbecues and fireworks. Gorrie noted that in the 18th century, news of independence spread by having the document read aloud. This weekend, on the 234th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration, she wants to provide Staten Islanders a place to discuss and share ideas about the significant date. Since the early days of SI OutLOUD, this reading took place annually on July 4.

The crowd convened in a circle and began to read. Some did not wish to, and were free to just listen, passing the microphone to the next person. Paragraph by paragraph, the entirety of the Declaration was read, including the names of the signers who risked their lives to break free from the king of England.

Afterwards, Gorrie, who acted as moderator, opened the floor to discussion. One participant commented that “it took them a lot of guts” to separate from the British empire. Another said the writers of the Declaration “wrote it with everyone in mind,” paving the way for the writing of the Constitution. Then, the group was encouraged to share the parts of the Declaration that left them with the deepest impression. The event concluded with readings of poems by American writers Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, and a newly naturalized American originally from Peru.

How It All Began


Gorrie began planning for this project in the summer of 2001, when she felt the incredibly diverse population of Staten Island residents, ranging from opera singers to geologists and across various faiths and countries of origin, needed a place to meet one another. “What is a good way to gather together, that’s not in a bar, not costly, and not forced?” An idea struck her mind: an open forum for discussion on world literature was the best thing to do.

She expected a small crowd when the first SI OutLOUD event was held at a coffee house in Stapleton. Instead, “We ran out of chairs. People were hungry to gather, hungry to share world literature and share ideas.” Especially when the event was held in the wake of September 11, SI OutLOUD became an important place for Staten Islanders to congregate and heal.

Run by volunteers, the group has since served close to 17,000 participants and held over 500 free events in 20 languages. They convene in places all around the island, from parks and museums to temples and the middle of the woods.

Gorrie stresses that the events are accessible to everyone and was created “to foster cross-cultural understanding by exploring world classics…Great art is for everyone.” The materials read may be her personal favorites, participants’ suggestions, or pieces inspired by the historic locations they are visiting. Gorrie also prepares additional related literature, and will share them with the crowd, “depending on how the conversation goes.”

Carol, a long-time volunteer for SI OutLOUD, said she loves to help Gorrie with the project because “it brings the community together.” She enjoys the idea of people coming together to listen to the words of beautiful literature. Sometimes, they read texts she hasn’t read before. She comes to the events, often held in scenic locations, “for the peace, the peacefulness that can come over you.” She also got to meet new friends and neighbors, including another dedicated volunteer, Doris.

Doris thinks the events are very worthwhile because she feels “by reading out loud with people, you connect with them.” She expressed that all the discussion after the reading adds to a sense of camaraderie. It also gets people out of their homes in front of the televisions screen. When asked why she wanted to volunteer for SI OutLOUD, she said, “People have fun, so I just wanted to support it.”

Have A Happy Fourth


First-time participant Maureen Becker, whose daughter Drew also read at the Declaration of Independence event, brought her children along to add to the history lessons gained during the July Fourth weekend after a trip to Philadelphia. The family got to experience some history in Staten Island too, Becker said.

It was also the first time for Camille, who admires the courage of the founding fathers of the country. She came because she wanted to hear “where it all began in 1776.” After the reading, it also stimulated her worries for the nation’s current state.

The location for the reading held particular significance, as it was held at Conference House, where “British Lord Admiral Richard Howe and Founding Fathers Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Edward Rutledge” gathered for a peace conference in September of 1776, according to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation website. Two months after the signing of the Declaration, the colonists were losing ground on the battlefield, and Lord Howe offered to end the war peacefully if the colonists were willing to end their wish to separate from the empire. But the three refused his offer and insisted on complete freedom and independence for the thirteen colonies.

For more information on Staten Island OutLOUD’s activities, go to www.statenislandoutloud.org.

[etssp 71]

Annie Wu joined the full-time staff at the Epoch Times in July 2014. That year, she won a first-place award from the New York Press Association for best spot news coverage. She is a graduate of Barnard College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
twitter
Related Topics