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A Nantucket church on the exclusive Massachusetts island long favored by former President Joe Biden canceled its annual Fourth of July reading of America’s founding documents, citing an effort to understand “our own whiteness” and drawing sharp criticism from conservatives.
“Our cancelling the 4th of July celebration this year reflects … an on-going process within the congregation to better understand our own whiteness,” wrote Nantucket Unitarian Universalists (NUU) and the Rev. Erin Splaine of the Second Congregational Meeting House Society in a letter published by the Nantucket Current on Thursday.
The historic Nantucket Unitarian Meeting House has hosted a public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights in downtown Nantucket each Fourth of July holiday for the past 25 years.
The decision comes as communities across the country prepare for events tied to America’s upcoming semiquincentennial celebrations, sparking criticism from social media users amid a broader debate over how the nation’s founding documents should be commemorated.
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President Joe Biden carries a milkshake while visiting Nantucket for the Thanksgiving holiday in 2023. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Church leaders said the decision reflects ongoing conversations within the congregation about race, privilege and the historical application of constitutional rights.
“For those of us who are white the experience of the Rights and Privileges conferred by the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States have, for centuries, been tragically, often violently, and unequally applied to fellow citizens who are not white,” the letter explained.
In previous years, local leaders and the island’s chamber of commerce had promoted the event on social media platforms for all to attend to celebrate the holiday.
The letter stated that Splaine would not “engage” with anyone concerned with the cancelation on social media, saying those concerned could make an “appointment” to speak with her.
“Social media is not the place for important, tender conversations,” the letter stated.
Nantucket, a famed summer retreat off the Massachusetts coast, attracts celebrities, millionaires — and billionaires. Biden and his family head up to the island almost every year to celebrate Thanksgiving with family for decades.
Critics were quick to flood social media with reactions, pointing to the island’s exclusivity and arguing that some on the left appear increasingly uncomfortable celebrating America’s founding ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday.
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A Nantucket church scraps its annual Fourth of July reading of the Declaration of Independence, sparking backlash ahead of America’s 250th birthday. (iStock)
“If you know anything about Nantucket, you know that’s where the rich, privileged people live. Just another self important dem who thinks she’s important,” posted an X user. “OK Nantucket, break out those fireworks. Don’t let this idiot spoil your fun.”
“Nothing says ‘inclusive’ like canceling a national holiday,” wrote one user on X.
“Someone needs to tell this nitwit that over 600,000 white men died in the battle to end slavery in this country by the way, the only country that decisively fought to end slavery,” said an X user. “I’m so tired of these people spewing lies because they refused to learn the truth. Pick up an old history book. It’s there.”
“She’s throwing a tantrum, and her congregation gets to take it and not ask any questions,” posted another person.
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“If you know anything about Nantucket, you know that’s where the rich, privileged people live. Just another self important dem who thinks she’s important,” posted an X user. (Ashley J. DiMella/ Digital)
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To salvage the annual event, another church on the island, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, announced it would read the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, the Nantucket Current reported.
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“We may not be there yet but we felt it was important to gather together and try to live up to the promises our country has made,” said St. Paul’s Rev. Max Wolf. “Those documents are aspirational.”
Digital reached out to the Nantucket Unitarian Meeting House for comment, as well as Biden’s office.
