Welcome to Poetry Friday! We are hosted this week here by Carol at her blog Apples in My Orchard. Thank you, Carol!
You can find out more about Poetry Friday here.
Last week I mentioned listening to children’s author Melissa Stewart’s work shop on picture book biography. She discussed writing about historical figures who are not widely known. To catch a publisher’s eye, the author needs to find something in this past life that still resonates today.
Francis Perkins is not currently widely known. She was nominated by FDR to be the first woman cabinet secretary. She ran the Department of Labor.
She was a compassionate woman who didn’t blame the poor who suffered during the depression as some did. She chose to help them. She was the social justice voice behind the 1935 New Deal legislation.
THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE PHOTO: Francis Perkins and Her New Deal for America, is a picture book biography by renowned author Kathleen Krull, Illustrated by the talented Alexandra Bye.
There have always been figures in American history who felt that it is not the responsibility of taxpayers to help the poor. This debate is still going on today. Some continue to believe that if the poor should simply work harder, they wouldn’t be poor.
But Francis Perkins knew that there were “unnecessary hazards to life” and “unnecessary poverty.” The elderly who cannot work are only one example. The New Deal is why Social Security, unemployment insurance, and a minimum wage exist today. It was the beginning of a safety net for Americans and this book is a reminder of the suffering in America that inspired it.
Francis Perkins is relevant today because of her passion for social justice. I am grateful for her service to the country.
FRANCIS PERKINS' NEW DEAL There once was a woman named Francis Who FDR thought would enhance his Department of Labor, we SO owe her a favor! From our bustling coastlines to Kansas. © Janice Scully