"Bread and Roses" is a political slogan as well as the name of an associated poem and song. It originated in a speech given by American women's suffrage activist Helen Todd; a line in that speech about "bread for all, and roses too" inspired the title of the poem Bread and Roses by James Oppenheim. The poem was first published in The American Magazine in December 1911, with the attribution line "'Bread for all, and Roses, too'—a slogan of the women in the West." The poem has been translated into other languages and has been set to music by at least three composers.
"As we come marching, marching, in the beauty of the day, A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill-lofts gray"—first lines of Bread and Roses. Image of workers marching during the Lawrence textile strike.
Poster from 1912 of Rose Schneiderman as speaker with her famous bread and roses quote printed on it
James Oppenheim was an American poet, novelist, and editor. A lay analyst and early follower of Carl Jung, Oppenheim was also a founder and editor of The Seven Arts.
Oppenheim in 1928