We Are Lawrence

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. (Matthew 7:25)

At Esperanza, this is how we feel about Lawrence, MA. It’s had ample reasons to collapse over its lifetime...It has seen prosperity and poverty, it has been neglected by the masses, and it has grappled with natural and man-made disasters. It has heard the narrative that others have said about her, that she is a city of sin.

Yet, we find that, as a collective, we owe so much to this beautiful city...It’s the home to all of our students, and more importantly, it’s the home to our wonderful school that for 14 years has cradled, nurtured, and protected the dreams of over 200 girls and their families. You see, one of the most beautiful aspects of our school is that it reflects the values and traditions that for so long have been interwoven in the DNA of our wonderful city.

While Esperanza has been creating a space where our girls are free to dream, it’s important to remember that this is the legacy of Lawrence; a former industrial city that has always been an immigrant city. And that history is very much alive today.

• Drive to the corner of Common and Newbury Street and you will see the legacy of the Italians who called Lawrence home through the Italian bakeries that for decades have been staples in our community.

• Drive to the corner of Haverhill and Franklin streets and you will see the first church erected by French Canadian immigrants who called Lawrence home.

• Drive by the mills and know that the industrial workers from Ireland and Germany who left their countries for greater opportunities also called Lawrence home.

• Drive by 141 Essex Street and see the building that held one of the finest men’s clothing stores of the 20th century, which was owned and run for 90 years by Jewish Immigrants who called Lawrence home.

• Drive by Avon and Trinity streets and see Holy Trinity Church which was created by the Polish immigrants of this city who called Lawrence home.

Today,  if you drive by any of the neighborhoods in Lawrence you will see homes painted in the beautiful vivid colors that are usually only found in the Caribbean. You can eat Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Vietnamese, Central American, and Peruvian food all made by the hands of folks from those respective countries because they all call Lawrence home. The dreams of men, women, and children from all around the world have been etched in the center of Lawrence’s palms.

Finally, you can drive by 198 Garden Street and see a small beautiful building that has two flags hanging from its second-floor windows: an American flag and a fierce purple flag with the name Esperanza Academy on it.