Quiltmaking among African-American women as a pedagogy of care, empowerment, and sisterhood

Abstract

Quiltmaking has historically been an art form and socio-political tool among African-American women. This paper will examine quiltmaking among African-American women as a radical form of pedagogy that is grounded in an ethic of care. From the historical roots of slavery to contemporary social movements like Black Lives Matter, African-American women have taught each other quiltmaking while forming close bonds of sisterhood to resist racism, oppression, and patriarchy. Drawing on Black feminist thought, this paper will show how quilt-making is connected to an ethic of care in African-American culture that is called ‘othermothering.’ The idea of ‘othermothering’ has its origin in African traditions and refers to women who share mothering duties [Collins, P. 2000. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. New York, NY: Routledge]. Quiltmaking practices permit the formation of bonds formed through ‘othermothering’ that support sisterhood, solidarity, and resistance.

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