Reflections From 9/21/2025 ~ Bread and Roses

This Sunday, we kicked off our year’s worship theme of Stories of Bread and Roses, by hearing the story of the origin of the phrase “Bread and Roses”.

We learned that it likely came from Helen Todd, factory inspector turned Suffragette due to her heartbreak over seeing children working in factories. We also learned that it was likely written down by Helen because of Maggie, the hired help of an older woman hosting the Suffragettes on their tour across Illinois. Maggie shared with the Suffragettes that their reflection on how we needed “bread, and roses, too” was her favorite part. The phrase then went on to become a rally cry and song for workers and so many other fighting for justice.

To read Helen’s full article in American Illustrated Magazine, Volume 72, you can go to the Google books link here, and then search for “Helen Todd”. This will take you to her article “Getting Out the Vote” on page 611.