​Gee’s Bend Exhibit: the Local Connection


by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Decades before folk art dealer Mathew Arnett began collecting quilts from Gee’s Bend, the Freedom Quilting Bee cooperative brought prosperity and dignity to impoverished black women from Gee’s Bend and other rural Wilcox County, Ala., communities. None of the above would have come to pass without Sewanee resident Rev. Francis Walter’s hands-on work during the 1960s struggle for black civil rights.

In 1965, Walters answered a calling to Selma, in Wilcox County, to take up the work of civil rights activist Jonathan Daniels. Before Walter and Daniels ever met, Daniels died from a gunshot wound received shielding a young black woman as they tried to enter a whites-only store.

White landowners were evicting black tenant farmers who registered to vote. Walter and a fellow civil rights worker set out one afternoon to interview rural Possum Bend residents to find out if they were being evicted and if they needed housing. The road they traveled dead ended at the Alabama River. At a nearby cabin, stunning colorful quilts draped across a clothesline caught Walter’s eye. The quilts reminded him of the Op Art in vogue at the time.

The quilt maker ran into the woods and hid when Walter went to the door. Walter returned with a local black civil rights leader and the fearful quilt maker came out to talk. He asked if she sold quilts and for how much. The going rate: $5 with the white-woman buyer supplying the scraps and thread.

“Black women all over the county were making quilts,” Walter said. A friend suggested selling the quilts in New York City. One quilter he talked with about buying quilts directed him to nearby Gee’s Bend where he met the quilter Minder Coleman.

Walter explained he was paying $10 for quilts and planned to sell them in New York. Anything the quilts brought in above the initial purchase price would also go to the quilters.

“Minder knew an opportunity when she saw one,” Walter said. She asked what day Walter would be coming by and had all the local quilters display their quilts in their yards.

Walter bought 70 quilts. A friend in NYC coordinated an auction in Greenwich Village and sent back the cash. The success of the effort sparked an idea in Walter’s mind: the woman should form a quilting cooperative.

An attorney friend drew up articles of incorporation and the quilters met in a church to elect officers. For a while the quilters operated out of one another’s homes or abandoned houses. Walter headed up the Selma Interreligious Project (SIP), a multi-faith coalition of civil rights activists. With SIP’s help, Walter secured grant funding to build a sewing factory.

The architect husband of a supporter designed the building and local black laborers constructed it with locally made brickcrete blocks. Called the Martin Luther King Sewing Center, the facility included a childcare wing. The state of Alabama opposed blacks operating childcare programs. Finally an SIP worker ushered in approval for the center’s childcare program along with several others in the Selma area likewise operated by blacks.

A NYC connection arranged for sale of Freedom quilts at Bloomingdale’s. The department store wanted standardized sizing and patterns. The quilters were frustrated, but complied, welcoming the income. The center began to produce other items as well. The Sears and Roebuck craft division contracted for pillow shams, which brought in steady revenue and were far less labor intensive than quilts.

What did the quilters spend their money on? Graduation rings and deep freezers were top on the list according to Walter. Many used the income to pay for their children’s college education. They also built a home for an impoverished man and his son living in a hovel adjoining the sewing center property.

Sharing the good fortune was second nature to them. Asked about the name, the Freedom Quilting Bee, Walter said, “Everything was ‘freedom.’ The tent city that sprang up to shelter the evicted was called Freedom City. At demonstrations the song ‘Oh, Freedom’ rang out,” said Walter.

The Freedom Quilting Bee’s impact resonated far beyond impoverished Wilcox County, but the women didn’t always reap the benefits. A cousin suggested to Walter the women copyright their designs, an idea he dismissed. A few years later at a conference he saw a woman wearing a dress with fabric patterned after one of the Freedom quilts. It was seeing an illustration of a quilt from Gee’s Bend that prompted folk art dealer Arnett to travel there and pursue acquiring quilts for his collection.

Rennie Miller, retired following a career in management, hopes to revive the cooperative, according to Nancy Callahan, author of the book “The Freedom Quilting Bee.” Miller is the daughter of one of the original members. Her mother’s earnings from Freedom helped to finance her education.

2024 March
2024 February
2024 January
2023 December
2023 November
2023 October
2023 September
2023 August
2023 July
2023 June
2023 May
2023 April
2023 March
2023 February
2023 January
2022 December
2022 November
2022 October
2022 September
2022 August
2022 July
2022 June
2022 May
2022 April
2022 March
2022 February
2022 January
2021 December
2021 November
2021 October
2021 September
2021 August
2021 July
2021 June
2021 May
2021 April
2021 March
2021 February
2021 January
2020 December
2020 November
2020 October
2020 September
2020 August
2020 July
2020 June
2020 May
2020 April
2020 March
2020 February
2020 January
2019 December
2019 November
2019 October
2019 September
2019 August
2019 July
2019 June
2019 May
2019 April
2019 March
2019 February
2019 January
2018 December
2018 November
2018 October
2018 September
2018 August
2018 July
2018 June
2018 May
2018 April
2018 March
2018 February
2018 January
2017 December
2017 November
2017 October
2017 September
2017 August
2017 July
2017 June
2017 May
2017 April
2017 March
2017 February
2017 January
2016 December
2016 November
2016 October
2016 September
2016 August
2016 July
2016 June
2016 May
2016 April
2016 March
2016 February
2016 January
2015 December
2015 November
2015 October
2015 September
2015 August
2015 July
2015 June
2015 May
2015 April
2015 March
2015 February
2015 January
2014 December
2014 November
2014 October
2014 September
2014 August
2014 July
2014 June
2014 May
2014 April
2014 March
2014 February
2014 January
2013 December
2013 November
2013 October
2013 September
2013 August
2013 July
2013 June
2013 May
2013 April
2013 March
2013 February
2013 January
2012 December
2012 November
2012 October
2012 September
2012 August
2012 July
2012 June
2012 May
2012 April
2012 March
2012 February
2012 January
2011 December
2011 November
2011 October
2011 September
2011 August
2011 July
2011 June
2011 May
2011 April
2011 March
2011 February
2011 January
2010 December
2010 November
2010 October
2010 September
2010 August
2010 July
2010 June
2010 May