About ‘DECLARATION (AQ’s Legacy)’: On the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, ‘DECLARATION (AQ’s Legacy)’ celebrates the legacy of Ah Quon McElrath (AQ) and leaders who, like her, helped our nation become a better place for all its inhabitants, regardless of race or immigrant status. They leave us a legacy shaped by a view of the Declaration of Independence as a moral mandate for social equity. From the original “repeated injuries and usurpations” which the 13 American colonies suffered under British colonial rule, to more recent forms oppression, these leaders have led inspiring social justice movements to break unfair status quos and abolish slavery, secure voting rights for women, end racial segregation, discrimination and disenfranchisement, provide marriage equality and anti-discrimination laws, afford equal opportunity for our disabled, and more. ‘DECLARATION (AQ’s Legacy)’ begins with a long, slow, five-count chord progression (the ‘status quo’). A solo violin enters (the status-quo breaker), slowly and consistently playing G- and D-string double stops, sometimes in harmony with the status quo, sometimes in dissonant tension, with slowly evolving rhythmic patterns and widening registers. The solo violin, with consistency, persistence, flexibility, and passionate commitment, endeavors to persuade the other players to add their own personal voice to the G- and D-string double stop status quo. While our founders’ system of checks and balances allows many Americans to enjoy the fruitful work of these past 250 years, there are still Americans for whom promises in this founding document have yet to be kept. Today’s status quo breakers –– of the ‘me too’, ‘black lives matter’, ‘pro choice’, ‘pro life’, ‘no kings’ and other movements –– remind us that even as our nation’s journey, imperfect as it is, continues towards its ‘more perfect union’ promising Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness for all, there still remains work to be done. (A version of this work first appeared in Jon Magnussen’s 2024 score for the PBS Hawaiʻi documentary “Ah Quon McElrath: The Struggle Never Ends”, which tells the story of how “one woman’s compassionate determination helped to lift thousands of families out of poverty”. Read more about this change agent from the 1940s and 1950s at https://www.laborhistoryhawaii.org/.)