A public reading of one of the 19th century’s most famous speeches will take place at noon on July 3 on the front lawn of Hopkinton Town Hall in Hopkinton. “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” asked Frederick Douglass in 1852. Douglass, one of our nation’s greatest orators and abolitionists, was asked to speak at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In his provocative speech, Douglass said, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.” And he asked, “Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?” Douglass’s speech remains emotionally powerful and thought-provoking more than a century and a half after he gave it. Organized locally by the Hopkinton Historical Society and statewide by the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, people of all ages and different walks of life are asked to gather at noon at the Hopkinton Town Hall located at 330 Main St. to take turns reading parts of the speech until the entire speech has been read. Community leaders around the country participate in these readings – people such as town officials, teachers and activists, the police and fire chiefs, and heads of key organizations come together with ordinary neighborhood folk. Contact Heather Mitchell at the Hopkinton Historical Society if you would like to read part of Douglass’s speech. Email director@hopkintonhistory.org or call 856-1380. Thirteen communities across the state are participating in this year’s event, including Claremont, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Hopkinton, Lebanon, Nashua, Manchester, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Rochester, Rollinsford, and Warner. For more information about times and locations, please go toblackheritagetrailnh.org or call 570-8469.
The Center for the Arts is excited to announce the fourth annual Naturally New England show will take place from July 17 through the 25, with varying hours, in lovely Sunapee Harbor. They invite the public to come view and purchase the work of over 50 of the best artists from Vermont and New Hampshire. The show will be held at the Livery, a beautiful historic building with wonderful gallery spaces. The theme, Naturally New England, uses the beauty of New England landscapes and wildlife to support land use conservation with this year’s proceeds going to the Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust and the Center for the Arts, Lake Sunapee Region. Don’t miss works by dozens of local artists. The show is coordinated by Visual Arts Guild coordinator, Rick Stockwell, with the help of many volunteers. The Visual Arts Guild, part of the Center for the Arts, strives to provide venues for artists to show their work with five New London MicroGalleries, Arts on the Green and Naturally New England in July, Open Studios in October, and many workshops and classes throughout the year. They also work with local schools both to encourage young artists, to assist them in showing their work, and in providing scholarships for students. For further information or questions, contact info@cfanh.org.