Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
“To me, it symbolizes freedom – how they broke out like birds,” Lawrence quilter and historian Marla Jackson said of an 1800s quilt believed to be made by a Black person who was enslaved.
A pair of exhibits at the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence are inspired by the life and death of Emmett Till, which helped launch the civil rights movement. The work of area textile artists helps connect the 1955 killing to contemporary violence against Black people.
Maya Hodison/Lawrence Times
Lawrence quilter and historian Marla Jackson believes her calling is to unfold neglected stories of Black history. Heading into the next few years, she plans to do that and much more.
Carter Gaskins / The Lawrence Times
Lawrence quilter and historian Marla Jackson tells powerful stories of Black resistance and freedom through textile art with vibrant colors, patterns and pieces of history.
Contributed
An upcoming short-form documentary project, “Queen Bee: African American Women Stitching Freedom,” will tell the stories of well-known Lawrence quilter Marla Arna Jackson and her contemporaries.
