By Edward Schoelwer eschoelwer@redshellmgmt.org
Photos by Larry Cochran
Nearly 400 people gathered at Seasongood Pavillion in Cincinnati’s Eden Park at 9:30 a.m. on July 4th for “A Public Reading of The Declaration of Independence,” which featured the participation of a cohort of 20 Cincinnatians from multiple backgrounds selected for their community service, plus musical performances by the cast of Higher produced by American Legacy Theatre and The Cincinnati Dancing Pigs.
Moe Rouse served as emcee; Kristen Bowen gave the ASL interpretation. Following Dylan Van Camp’s performance of the “Star Spangled Banner,” Parks Director Jason Barron gave a warm welcome to the crowd who had gathered, cups of coffee in hand, to hear the Declaration of Independence spoken aloud. The readers were: Mayor Aftab Pureval, Pat Sheppard, Evans Nwankwo, Jeanne Mam-Luft, Jim Tarbell, Kareem Moncree-Moffett, Connie Pillich, Roman Maieron, Karen Umwimana, Rhonda Holyfield-Mangieri, Debra Ruehlman, Angela Chub Lopez, Saad Ghoson, Katie Katzman, Aik Khai Pung, Quiera Levy Smith, Mary Kate Genis, Paul Haffner, tt stern-Enzi, and Courtis Fuller.
The ceremony – performance was a tribute to the enduring spirit of America and a chance to review the concepts that have shaped our democratic republic. It was a magnificent experience for all who were present.
According to Edward Schoelwer, the organizer of “A Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence,” in the 19th century, it was common practice for American communities to start their Independence Day celebrations by reading the Declaration. This seems to have fallen out of practice in Cincinnati for several generations. The gathering on July 4, 2025, marks its revival in the Queen City. It was a grass roots event of the best sort.
The event was produced in collaboration with Cincinnati Parks, The League of Women Voters of Cincinnati Area, Democracy and Me, and the Cincinnatus Association. Checks to support the event can be sent to League of Women Voters Education Fund with July Fourth Project in the memo line.
A new entity, the July Fourth Project, has been organized in order to produce the 2026 Edition of “A Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence,”
In addition to reading his portion of the Declaration of Independence, Mayor Aftab Pureval read a letter dated July 3, 1776, that John Adams wrote his wife wherein, the “Founding Father” predicted that Independence Day would be “solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward, forevermore.”
The delivery of the reading was accomplished by each reader taking a turn reciting a paragraph from the text while the person sitting next to them holds the microphone. The enthusiastic crowd stood up and cheered at the conclusion of the reading. The 45-minute program ended with a sing-along of “This Land Is Your Land,” led by the Cincinnati Dancing Pigs, with the combined voices of all the attendees echoing through the park.