Social Justice

I made this quilt in May of 2020, as the pandemic forced many of us to isolate and the death of George Floyd caused outrage, especially in Houston, where I live and where he grew up. As some 60,000 marched in downtown Houston, I did the only thing I knew to do… make a quilt about this moment. “Say Their Names” is an original design with a hand-drawn font. The symbols around the outside circle are meant to be crosses. This quilt has been exhibited around the U.S. with other Social Justice Sewing Academy quilts. It was juried into the Quiltcon 2022 show. The quilt is now part of the permanent collection of the International Quilt Museum, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Sara Trail and I hosted a new lecture for the Quiltcon 2022 audience in Phoenix, Arizona. We placed the work of the Social Justice Sewing Academy in the broader context of the social justice movement today, and we highlighted three SJSA outreach programs, including the SJSA Remembrance Project. We were joined on stage by a very special guest, Addie Kitchen, the grandmother of Steven Taylor who was killed by police inside a California Walmart.

Stitching Stolen Lives is a new book that is a beautifully illustrated, in-depth look at the mission and work of the Social Justice Sewing Academy Remembrance Project. The Social Justice Sewing Academy Remembrance Project is simultaneously raising consciousness of social injustice & turning volunteers into artivists. The hard cover book is a compilation of extraordinary textile art, quilted banners, and family quilts that memorialize individuals killed due to social injustice. Co-authored by Sara Trail and Teresa Duryea Wong, this book shares stories and insight into the lives lost and the long overlooked, heartrending truths shared by teens and young adults. Order a copy at sjsacademy.org

Sara Trail and I have co-authored a new book titled Stitching Stolen Lives. Our collaboration for this book was an amazing experience to create the first book documenting the critically important Social Justice Sewing Academy Remembrance Project. Together, we crafted the stories to honor victims, highlight volunteers, showcase beautifully crafted artivist art, and forever raise, and remember, the voices of the unheard.