We Are Lawrence--march tomorrow
Andre Leroux
Hi everyone--
On the off chance you haven't heard about this, please participate in the event tomorrow to start telling a new story about Lawrence.
Andre
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March 12, 2012 - For Immediate Release
CONTACT:
Aliali Belkus: abe...@gmail.com; 978.258.0698
Pavel M. Payano: Pay...@glypn.org; 978.270.7487
Eduardo Crespo: hispani...@aol.com; 978.686.8019
Maggie Super Church: mpsc...@gmail.com; 978.697.3550
“The Damned” Speak Out: Rally and march planned in Lawrence
Lawrence, MA – On Tuesday, March 13th at 3:30 pm, hundreds of Lawrencians will gather at Pemberton Park at the corner of Amesbury and Canal Street for a rally and march to tell their personal stories about Lawrence and fight back against the negative press coverage that has blanketed the city in recent months. The event is being organized by local parents, businesspeople, students, non profits, educators, clergy, and city leaders in response to a recent article in Boston Magazine that described Lawrence as “damned” and “the most godforsaken city in Massachusetts.” The article, which generated an unprecedented response from the local community, has also sparked a vigorous organizing effort called “We Are Lawrence” to combat the negative portrayal of the city in the mainstream media.
“We Are Lawrence” has taken off in the city over the past week. A group of more than forty local people gathered in a downtown café within a day of the magazine’s publication to air their frustrations and develop plans for action. Since then, members of We Are Lawrence have formed working groups, created a Facebook page, and begun to develop a variety of strategies to challenge public perceptions of Lawrence. As one member, Maggie Church, put it “There is no disputing that Lawrence has serious challenges, and we are not trying to sweep them under the rug. In fact, many of us are working every day in the schools, on the streets, and in our neighborhoods to address these issues and to help the city build a better future. At the same time, there are extraordinary examples of resilience, imagination, innovation, and success that have received scant media attention. There are also important trends, like the continued investment in the City’s mill buildings and the growth of small businesses, that don’t get mentioned alongside the statistics on crime and education. Some people have argued that “the facts are the facts”— but there are a lot of facts that haven’t made it into the newspapers. We Are Lawrence aims to fill this information gap.”
The March 13th rally will begin at Pemberton Park, located at the corner of Amesbury and Canal Streets, at 3:30 pm with the march to follow. The rally and march are free and open to the public. We Are Lawrence is a non-partisan, all volunteer group that is committed to fostering, promoting, and sharing positive stories about Lawrence. For more information, visit our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/ILoveLawrenceMA
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