Quilts

With apologies to Virginia Woolf (and tapping into her imagery of the marginalization of women), the front of the banner is, I think, self explanatory. A woman’s body is hers and hers alone. No government, court or church should have any power over such a fundamental right. The back of the banner is the monkey wrench quilt pattern. Certain patterned quilts were hung outside the homes of supporters of the Underground Railway as a signal to fleeing slaves. “[T]he monkey wrench quilt was a signal for the slaves to begin preparations by collecting the “tools” they thought they would need in their journey north.” (HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW, p. 83.) Those tools were physical, mental and spiritual. The fleeing slaves needed to be prepared on all levels.

These quilts were made by Kit and Catherine, after the election, to thank activists for their work and to offer comfort to those around them.

I created this block for the @sjsa_remembranceprojectResearching the case of George Robinson, killed by Jackson, Mississippi police in January 2019, I was horrified at the casual brutality that resulted in Mr. Robinson’s death. Policing has become militarized, leading to all-out warfare in our cities. Black people of any age or gender, but especially Black men, are not community members, not citizens. They are the enemy and must be destroyed at all costs. There is no empathy, no recognition of humanity. It’s not about “protect and serve,” it’s about domination and control. And it is systemic. This is not a few bad apples, this is standard operating procedure. Sadly, sometimes even Black officers have this mindset, as was apparently the case here. Mr. Robinson, age 62, was sitting in a car outside his own home when approached by police searching for a murder suspect. According to witnesses, Mr. Robinson was cooperative and agreed to get out of his car, but said he had difficulty moving, due to a recent stroke. Police dragged him out of the car and threw him face down on the pavement. Witnesses say he was beaten, kicked and punched. He left the scene on his own, but went to the hospital that night and died two days later from head injuries inflicted by police. All three officers were charged with murder, but in May 2021, a judge dismissed charges against two of them. The third will be tried at a later date. I read everything I could find about Mr. Robinson. He was clearly an important and beloved member of his community. He was a respected elder. Everyone talked about how kind, generous, friendly, and even-tempered he was. How could such a person be beaten to death by police? In designing this remembrance block, I wanted to uplift Mr. Robinson’s role in his community. The sun behind his head represents the light he brought into the lives of others. The words describe how his family and friends thought of him. The broken hearts symbolize the damage caused by violent death. Not only did Mr. Robinson lose his life, but his entire community was traumatized. #sew4justice

We saw this image of the Virgin of Guadalupe being arrested by ICE on the internet. Maria was a bit meeker. Kit made the quilt with a more powerful Maria and smaller agents. She asked her FB friends who wanted it and gave it to Elvira Diaz (blonde woman holding it). She’s a social media maven, politics hound, inveterate canvasser for good politicians and causes, and proud mother of 2 amazing kids. Kit explains the other Virgin Arrested by Ice Quilts she made. “When I gave the quilt to Elvira, Rosa (bottom photo blue shirt) was there and said “I want one!” Rosa advises immigrants in our community, and I would do almost anything for her. So I made her another one, which she displays in her immigration office.”  In the bottom photo, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, PLAN staff honors Lydia Lopez (in shades to left) who went off to law school to study immigration law. 

Kit Miller made this quilt for a demonstration against Trump’s policy of separating families and locking kids up in cages at border detention centers. “We were protesting our Republican Congressman Amodei’s support of Trump and his inhumane policies. Bob Fulkerson of The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada is showing it off with me.” Elizabeth Warren, a leading candidate for President, came to Reno a few days after finishing this quilt. “She liked the quilt, noticed the tears in the children’s eyes and sent our picture out on Twitter. If she  wins, she’ll stop the imprisonment of kids and reverse the evilness of trump’s border policy.” Julián Castro, presidential candidate from Texas, came to Reno and vowed to free children from detention centers and decriminalize the border.  Kit made this quilt, based on a New Yorker cover by B. Blitt, representing children hiding from harm, family separation and jail in Lady Liberty’s skirts. “Like everyone I know, I am outraged that Trump’s government is taking kids away from their families, and keeping children in detention. We have become a monster state. I was very moved by the drawing. It was fun to make Liberty, drape beautiful  green fabric, and imagine her big feet and hands. I decided to add two children that at the time we knew had died in ICE detention – Jakelin and Felipe, both Guatemalans. I made Liberty’s arm framing them protectively – I couldn’t stand the idea that she could only be a metal statue. I thought about who to give it to in Congress and I decided to give it to Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. She comes from New York, and because people all around me were talking about her and her bravery and leadership. So I took the quilt to her office and left it with a male receptionist (on the left as you walk in). I never heard back if she got it.”

“This quilt is based on a stained glass window in my mother Maya Miller’s kitchen. I’m sorry I don’t know the artist! I love the design. Nancy Raven transposed the design, and Fannie Etheridge and I sewed it. We gave this one to Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, one of Nevada’s two Democratic women senators.”  (Over a few months in 2019 Kit made 4 more of them for people she admired for their organizing and political work. Those quilts are shown below.) These Nevada quilts were made for Bob Fulkerson and Laura Martin, the past and current directors of PLAN, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. They are both great organizers who have helped Nevadans talk and fight back against mining, development, and mass incarceration, and for the rights of Native peoples, immigrants, workers, small ranchers and many others.   This quilt was made to honor Jan Gilbert, many years co-director of PLAN, who especially lobbied and organized for the rights of low-income women and children in Nevada.

These quilts remind us of the important role immigrants play in our society and that we need to welcome them with grace and respect.