WE LEARN 2009: March for Women’s Literacy
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WE LEARN 2009 - March for Women's Literacy
March for Women’s Literacy from URI (conference site) to AS220 (Performance & Celebration Space)
We’ll be led in song and chant by the Rhode Island Raging Grannies
Report: This energizing march brought all the conference participants together after a full day of workshops, presentations, and networking, and gave us a chance to bring our shared passions and concerns out into the community. Nearly one hundred women marched the few blocks from the conference center at URI to AS220's beautiful performance space. Carrying colorful signs calling for support for women's literacy, we were spurred on by the uplifting chants and songs of the Raging Grannies.
Here's some of the clever chants we echoed through downtown Providence:
1-2-3-4
We are smart and we can soar!
5-6-7-8
Now’s the time to educate!
--
We want a J-O-B-
so we can E-A-T!
We want a J-O-B-
Help us R-E-A-D!
--
We are dreamers of new visions, we are dreaming, dreaming for our lives.
We are dreamers of new visions, and we’re dreaming, dreaming for our lives.
--
(to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb)
Mary had a great big book, lots of words, the time it took!
Mary had a great big book, it was too hard to read.
Nina had a health care form, job search form, insurance form.
Nina had a health care form, she couldn’t fill them in.
Bertha couldn’t get a job, a home to rent, at night she’d sob.
Bertha didn’t want to rob, she’d find another way.
They tried to go to adult ed, English class, training school.
They tried to get a GED, but classes were all full.
Their names were on the waiting list. It took too long. They would insist.
They came to join as activists, demanding schools for all.
The money that we spend on war could build new schools and help the poor.
We won’t support the rich no more, it’s time to take a stand.
We’re women and we’re wise and strong, when we join hands, it’s wont’ take long.
We raise our voices with this song for learning and for life.
--
