Mary Lu Redden, Director of Halifax Humanities 101, wrote in to pitch Bread and Roses for the PoliMusic countdown:
This is one of my favourite songs of all time, especially as sung by Judy Collins, whose beautiful voice sustained me through some crazy teenage years.
Halifax Humanities 101, the education program of which I am director, is perfectly captured in the lyrics of this song. People who have experienced harsh lives and live on low incomes need all kinds of practical supports - "bread". However, to live a truly full life we all need art and beauty and literature. These are the "roses" for which the song pleads so beautifully. "Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread but give us roses!". I am so privileged to have a job that brings the richness of Humanities education into lives that have experienced poverty, disadvantage and hardship. This song has become something of an anthem for me.
Listen to Judy Collins' version of Bread and Roses here.
And follow Halifax Humanities on Twitter here.
