February 12, 2009
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Centennial Place students create quilt to honor Black History Month
ATLANTA — Centennial Place third-graders enjoyed the rich tradition of quilt making in honor of Black History Month. A quilt comprised of patches from Sharhonda Davies’ class will be on display during an exhibit at the Threshing Floor Academy Children’s Art Gallery February 27 in Castleberry Hill.
The non-profit organization invited artistic quilter Mildred Bethel to work with the students as part of its efforts to promote child development through innovative art and music programs.
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To celebrate Black History Month, artist Mildred Bethel teaches Centennial Place Elementary School students about the history of quilting. Third-grader London Dickson creates a patch honoring her aunt.
Students greeted Bethel’s work with a chorus of “ooh’s” and “ahhs” as she explained the humble and practical origins of quilt making.
“We used quilts to keep us warm,” she told the students. “We didn’t have fabrics like we have now. We used bits of cloth that we found.”
Then Meisha Card, director of Threshing Floor Academy, challenged students to use their own family experience as inspiration for a patch in the quilt.
“Black history can be found outside of a textbook,” she told students. “You have individuals in your families and your communities who have done great things; share some of your stories.”
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Third-graders Darohn Crooms, left, and Zoe Madlem brainstorm ideas for their patches.
With that simple challenge, the third-graders worked feverishly to complete their project. Along with notable figures in Black history such as President Barack Obama and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., students chose to honor local heroes such the pastor of their church. Emma Green drew inspiration from her own family tree with a patch that celebrates her great-great-grandmother, a Native American from the Cherokee tribe who walked the Trail of Tears.
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The students work will be part of an exhibit at Threshing Floor Children's Art Gallery on February 27.
Third-grader London Dickson’s patch features her aunt, who also makes quilts. “They’re my favorite,” she said. “I always sleep in them.”
Like Bethel’s quilts, the students’ finished version will be treated like a prized work of art. Threshing Floor Academy Children’s Art Gallery will include the quilt in an exhibit with Bethel’s work from 7-10 p.m. on Friday, February 27. Then the piece will be donated to Centennial Place.
