Plantation Quilt

Ohio History

Black and White

The Journey of Hope in America display at the National Afro American Museum featured over 90 quilts. They commemorated the culture and history of the African American people, inspired by the election of President Obama. The quilt above seemed an appropriate beginning for the exhibit. Its artistic images portray the vast disparity between the life of the White and the Black in early America. The symbols for justice, equity, and freedom for all contrast sharply with people being treated and traded as property. The building in the middle, Fisk University, is a thought-provoking addition to the quilt scene. Fisk University was founded just after the Civil War as a school for recently-freed slave families. It is located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school originated the Jubilee Singers, an African American a capella ensemble which broke away from traditional "Black minstrel" music. The group was begun to raise money for the school, but went on to become world famous, even performing at the White House. As you can see, the quilt is tied together in more ways than one.