Bread & Roses is cheating

For the virtual expo Bread & Roses is cheating we invited friendly heritage institutions to share special pieces from their own collections that, in their opinion, resonate with the meaning of the legendary slogan behind the magazine's name:We want bread and we want roses too'.

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, that powerful slogan has symbolized social justice worldwide. Bread refers to the right to fair wages and economic security. Roses represent everything that makes life more than mere survival: culture, nature, education, beauty, freedom, and equality. Together, they express a desire for a dignified and just existence. An aspiration that is just as relevant today as it was then.

Bread & Roses is cheating brings together a multifaceted selection of objects, images, documents, and stories thanks to the enthusiastic cooperation of numerous heritage institutions.

Red Star Line Museum – The story of Ahmed Oubari

The Red Star Line Museum tells the story of Ahmed Oubari, who immigrated from Morocco to Belgium and was interviewed in 2022 for the exhibition. Escape stories.

In this interview, he looks back on the crucial moment when he received his first Belgian work permit. What is seemingly an administrative formality marks, for him, the start of his real life in Belgium. A symbol of recognition, dignity, and new opportunities. 

Interview with Ahmed Oubari - Red Star Line Museum

Ahmed Oubari during the interview with the Red Star Line Museum in 2022. In his hands, he holds his first Belgian work permit.Red Star Line Collection, RSL.2022.020.001)

Ahmed Oubari grew up in Morocco. After independence in 1956, there was an atmosphere of nationalist euphoria, but Ahmed protested against the high costs of education. After multiple arrests, he no longer felt safe and decided to leave the country. In 1962, he boarded a ship to Syria, where he received a scholarship. During the holidays, he went to work in Germany, and after two years, Ahmed decided to move to Belgium as a migrant worker.

In the segment from 00:00 to 02:30, Ahmed talks about a defining moment in his story: obtaining his first work permit in Belgium. It seems like an administrative formality, but for Ahmed, it is also a form of recognition. From then on, he can fully start his life here.

He actively engages in the student community and becomes Secretary-General of the Belgian branch of the Moroccan National Student Union. In this capacity, he organizes conferences on the political situation in Morocco and the Middle East, and on themes that are also felt in Belgium, such as racism and xenophobia. Additionally, he helps establish a committee against repression in Morocco, supported by various trade unions. In the 1980s, Ahmed also produces radio programs in Arabic. Driven by realism and perseverance, he continues to tirelessly oppose all forms of injustice.

The story of Ahmed Oubari touches the core of Bread & Roses. The work permit symbolizes brood: the right to work, security of livelihood, and dignity. His further trajectory shows the roses: awareness, culture, freedom of expression, and solidarity. Ahmed's journey shows how a migrant actively makes choices, organizes himself, and takes on engagement in society. His story is not just about what happened to him, but above all about what he himself set in motion. 

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The Red Star Line Museum starts from the historical story of European emigration via Antwerp to America, and aims to encourage reflection and dialogue about migration in the past, present, and future.

To the website of the Red Star Line Museum