By Journalist Dr. Ms. Jones
POUGHKEEPSIE – On Sunday, June twenty second the Mid-Hudson Antislavery Historical past Mission celebrated Juneteenth with the “Oh, Freedom! Quilt Exhibition.” The occasion was held on the Walkway Over the Hudson at East Gate Plaza. The aim was to memorialize the historical past of slavery and abolition within the Hudson Valley. The presentation mentioned “Abolition Heroes of the Hudson Valley” and highlighted the significance of sharing and preserving native historical past.
“[Lucretia Mott, the “foremost white female abolitionist in the U.S,”] went to high school at a Quaker boarding college [Nine Partners School located in Dutchess County]… Jacob Willetts and his spouse [Deborah]… had been lecturers out at 9 Companions and so they had been concerned within the Underground Railroad… Frederick Douglass… got here to Poughkeepsie thrice [to deliver speeches. These are just]… a few of the abolitionists in Dutchess County that folks might not have heard of,” stated Peter Bunten, Government Director of The Mid-Hudson Antislavery Historical past Mission.
The Oh, Freedom! Quilting Mission, a venture of the Mid-Hudson Antislavery Historical past Mission, makes use of quilting to show the historical past of enslaved folks within the Hudson Valley, the antislavery motion, and the Underground Railroad, thus fostering custom and group. They instruct adults and youngsters. The Grasp Quilters Narcita Medina and Anita Jones do the backing. In addition they assist individuals develop their very own quilt squares to create quilts that will probably be exhibited all through the area.
“The 2 of us are quilters. We noticed it is a nice mechanism to deliver folks collectively as a result of the historical past of quilting is group, significantly within the African American group. Folks would come collectively and they’d have Quilting Bees and they’d inform tales and they’d stick with it traditions. We’re following that very same custom that’s been given to us from technology to technology to show the historical past,” stated Narcita Medina, Co-Founding father of the Oh, Freedom! Quilting Mission and Board Program Secretary of the Mid-Hudson Anti-Slavery Mission.
The Oh, Freedom! Quilting Mission companions with a number of organizations, together with Oakwood Faculties, the Putnam Historical past Museum, the Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Department Library, the First Congregational Church-UCC-Poughkeepsie, and Celebrating the African Spirit. A number of of these group’s quilts had been displayed within the exhibition. Commissioned textile artists’ quilts had been featured. The Quilt-N-Queens Guild from Jamaica Queens, New York, consisting primarily of African American quilters devoted to the craft and legacy of quilting and fiber arts, additionally had a number of quilts exhibited, together with those targeted on Juneteenth.
“We make quilts for the veterans, the youngsters within the foster care, the hospitals for the “preemies,” even seniors. However we collaborated with [The Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project] as a result of [we’re] into historical past,” stated Thadine Wormly, Co-President of the Quilt ‘N Queens who’s celebrating 30 years as a guild.
The Oh, Freedom! Quilting Mission presents quilt exhibitions in varied places across the Hudson Valley. The Mission is funded by NYS Legislature and administered by means of Arts Mid-Hudson. It is usually partially funded by the Vassar Faculty Good Neighbors Partnership. It is usually supported by the Dutchess and Putnam Group Grants Funds of the Group Foundations of the Hudson Valley. The following exhibition is on the First Congregational Church in Poughkeepsie on September twentieth.
“We’re specializing in the query of communities of religion and abolition and human rights as a result of this story really tells part of that story. So, we need to pull that out as a result of we’re going to have it in an abolition church and we’re going to have the pastor of that church discuss. We’re going to have somebody from the Quaker group discuss. I’m making an attempt… to get somebody from AME Zion to speak as a result of AME Zion was additionally fashioned within the abolitionist motion,” stated Laura Chenven, Board Secretary of the Mid-Hudson Anti-Slavery Mission.
