The 250th anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence will be
celebrated on July 8, 2026, at the Memphis Suffrage Monument “Equality Trailblazers” at 5 pm
CDT on the river side of the University of Memphis law school.

This is part of a nationwide event: https://hawaiiamerica250.org/sharing-the-spirit-of-america
In addition to the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton for the July 19-20, 1848, first Women’s Rights Convention in
Seneca Falls, NY, will also be read. She patterned it after the Declaration of Independence and
included women.

Mayor Paul Young will begin the reading of the Declaration of Independence. Other readers
include:

• Jerri Green, Memphis City Councilwoman;
• Steve Mulroy, District Attorney General;
• Sen. Raumesh Akbari;
• Sen. Sara Kyle;
• Rep. Karen Camper;
• Rep. Gabby Salinas;
• Deidre Malone, former Shelby County Commissioner and president of the National Women’s
• Political Caucus;
• Wayne Dowdy, Senior Manager, Memphis Public Library History Department;
• Jocelyn Dan Wurzburg, mediation pioneer and longtime civil rights/women’s rights activist;
• Dottie Jones, public servant and longtime civil rights activist;
• Jerred Price, Downtown Neighborhood Association president; and
• Jee Vahn Knight, CEO, Baron Von Opperbean and the River of Time.

The Orpheum staff will have a banner, buttons and brochures to promote the upcoming
popular musical, “Suffs,” which will be performed July 31-Aug. 2. The musical includes Ida B.
Wells and Mary Church Terrell, two prominent Black suffragists also featured on the
monument.

The convener for this event is Paula Casey, who chairs the National Votes for Women Trail
Committee, started the podcast, “Her March to Democracy … Stories Along the National Votes
for Women Trail,” and chaired the Memphis Suffrage Monument Committee.

The public is invited. Bring your own chair and water.