Black History is American History is Our History Part 2

I used the same subject matter mentioned in the following post at the second library. They're just arranged differently.



Black History is American History is Our History

Since my library assistant worked so hard creating on the barn, I plan to use it multiple times before taking it down. It's gone from the book barn to a structure honoring the Underground Railroad and the Quilt System, which I've displayed in some form or fashion several years now.

Four generations sewed on the quilt I used. It was made with over a thousand hexagon pieces. My great-grandmother designed and pieced it; my mother and grandmother quilted most of it, and I quilted a corner of it. If you look at the individual materials, you'll see that my Mamo used some of the ugliest cloth-- they didn't throw anything away-- and at first glance, I thought she was a little senile putting all those patterns and colors that seemed to clash. But looking closer, you'll see that she alternated the solids and the patterns, and with most of them she pulled a color out of the pattern to be the solid color next to it. And when you step back, it makes a beautiful design, and I'm so proud that it's mine.

From what I've read about the quilt system, some folks say the stories that quilts and certain patterns sent messages to those embarking and traveling on the Underground Railroad are not documented or confirmed. But I would venture to say that most of the history of the slaves and the efforts to free them are not documented because of the danger involved for all of them. How ingenious to use common household items such as quilts to send messages to those seeking freedom.





And what a sad part of our country's history that so many folks accepted the owning of other human beings as property. We all owe a debt of gratitude to those courageous folks of all races who risked their lives, livelihoods, and reputations to line up the words of our Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,

that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

"Oh, for the day when Americans are categorized by citizenship, character, and contributions to mankind; when colors refer to our flag instead of a label to brandish as a crutch or a bully stick; when our history is one history, undivided, and with liberty and justice for all." dvc

I just noticed in the last photo that the information I posted about Carter Woodson, which should be to the left of his picture, has been removed. Not sure why. More people need to know about this man; I'll just print out another copy.





Black History is American History is Our History



Several book boxes came with a ton of brown packing paper, which I used to weave in and out of the loft bed as a background for this month's display. I wasn't sure what I was going for, other than a consistent look, but after I finished wrapping the frame, it reminded me of tobacco leaves hanging to dry. Tobacco was a labor-intensive crop prevalent on many of the east and southeastern plantations during the slave years, so the look fits Black History month in that way. I haven't said that aloud, preferring to leave the interpretation to the viewer's imagination. I used pictures from the Library of Congress and hung them directly on the brown paper. I displayed books dealing with the time around Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation as well as key people in the early struggle for freedom and subsequent civil rights. It's sad to look back and see those parts of history where people erred in their treatment of human beings-- slavery, the holocaust, apartheid. We tell ourselves we wouldn't be a part of that, but seeing injustice and choosing to ignore it is no different than condoning it. I believe too many of us are asleep in the midst of a present day holocaust when it comes to the deaths of innocent unborn children, but that's not what this display is about so I'll share my thoughts in another post. It's encouraging, though, to see those individuals throughout history that recognized injustice and were courageous enough to do something about it. We especially celebrate them this month.



As I worked on the display, I realized I never thought about what I display each year as being a part of my history since it's Black History month. The title itself seems segregative, like it's set apart from the rest of American history. But I realized that black history is a part of our American history, so it's my history, too, and that's how I'm going to think about it from now on.

I assumed it began years ago because many of the history books failed to record events and contributions  involving blacks throughout our country's history, but I thought I'd better do some research on the origins of Black History month to confirm that. I learned about Carter G. Woodson, who is considered the Father of Negro History and in 1926 organized the first Negro History Week, which evolved into Black History month, although the Web site I retrieved the following photo calls it African American History month.

Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950)

Courtesy of the National Academy of Sciences Online, African American History Program

I found a quote of Woodson's that really resonated with my epiphany that Black History is a part of my history, too. On the founding of Negro History Week he said, "We should emphasize not Negro History, but the Negro in history. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate, and religious prejudice." YES, Dr. Woodson!! Otherwise, we're continuing to set ourselves apart, even with good intentions.

Oh, for the day when Americans are categorized by citizenship, character, & contributions to mankind;

when colors refer to our flag instead of a label to brandish as a crutch or bully stick;

when our history is one history, undivided , & with liberty & justice for all. --Donna Van Cleve



The Quilt System

The February display tells the story of how people used quilts to send messages to the runaway slaves traversing the Underground Railroad. For the sign, I used MS Word and went to the Insert tab, Clip Art, and searched each letter individually to create a quilt square look for each letter.

I brought two colorful quilts from home to use as the background and draped on a chair, as well as some quilted placemats and a table runner. I brought out all of the cloth from the supply room and filled every basket I had on hand to make it look like a sewing room.

I pulled books about slavery and the Underground Railroad to display.