Gee’s Bend Quilting Inspiration
Gee’s Bend Quilting Inspiration
The inspiration for the A Dream Deferred: The Future of African American conference 20th annual celebration is drawn from the phenomenal craftwork of the Gee’s Bend quilters. During the 19th century, enslaved women living in the isolated community of Boykin, Alabama, also known as Gee’s Bend, began a cultural quilting tradition of creating hand-stitched quilts to serve their needs for warmth and in some cases preserve family history. The women who created these remarkable abstract pieces negotiated a penurious world where they existed without agency, freedom, or a voice. Their work is born from these circumstances and evokes the spirit, history, resiliency, and ingenuity of women who made a way out of no way. Each quilt reminds us that the maker(s) are indeed unique and powerful storytellers.
The Gee’s Bend quilts were made from scraps of cloth and old clothing that the community members could acquire. The geometric designs created are abstract in nature but echo West African textile designs. Passed down throughout the generations, this African American Indigenous art form persists today and is revered as fine art in museums and galleries.
Similarly, A Dream Deferred unites professionals, mirroring the collaborative spirit of quilting to address challenges, share knowledge, and create artful solutions that help African American students achieve academic success. This conference celebrates triumphs over challenges and gives voice to our students and the educators who serve them. In this effort, the conference resonates with the powerful storytelling tradition of the Gee’s Bend quilts.
Photo credit: Souls Grown Deep