100 years ago, in 1912,  there was the biggest strike in the great City of Lawrence Massachusettes, just 15 miles North of Boston. Thousands of immigrant mill workers went on strikes for days on end, there request was to keep the wages same, but work for less hours. Majority of them were women, children under 14, who were working 12 or more hours a day all for less then $9 a week. The working conditions were gruesome. Labor was repetitive and dangerous. After 2 months, there efforts paid off. The workers won the battle but unfortunately, many of them died during this period.

Historians, community activists and concerned citizens from all over the state, came together and over the last 30 years they have been celebrating what is now called The Bread and Roses Festival.

Lawrence Public Library’s Special Collections Archivist, Loise Sandberg, organized a citywide reading program, for parents, teachers, community leaders, students and for everyone who loves to read. Thousands of students and adults responded to this great program and read this years book called Bread and Roses Too, by Newbery Medal winner Author, Katherine Paterson.

Knowledge Academy of Andovers’ own (www.knowledgeacademy.org) Vanessa Munoz, a 7th grader, who was part of the reading program with her class, won the raffle that she and thousands of other students entered.  

Vansea Munoz with Louise Sandberg above and Oya Bozkurt Principal of Knowledge Academy.