As we approach Black History Month, reader Sandra Starke of Milwaukee wondered if most people knew of the relevance of the quilt to the Underground Railroad movement. Citing Owen Sound’s Black History Web page on Underground Railroad Quilt Code, Starke wrote to introduce or remind readers about the site. "Milwaukee celebrates the month, but how many people spend time reading to their children about the nuances of Black History in American History?" Starke questioned.
Sound’s Black History page contains much information about the secret messages depicted in quilt patterns. “Remember,” Starke stated, “that it was illegal to teach a slave to read or write and quilting provided a method to pass messages along without so much as a spoken word.”
The Flying Geese pattern, for instance, provided a message according to the Sound Web site that geese flew north in the spring of the year. Following their migratory path, an individual could be sure to find food and water as they traveled. When the patterns of the “Geese” were stitched together in a quilt, they could also form a makeshift compass to point the way, the Site observed.
Readers interested in the Owen Sound Web site can find it here. The pages contain pictured blocks and explanations of their codes, a glossary of Underground Railroad terms, Owen Sound's Black History, plus a wealth of connecting links for hours of reading-well worth the time to educate yourself and your children about this part of true American history on this snowy Milwaukee day!
Thank you, Sandra, for this informative Web Site reminder on Martin Luther King's Day. Please share your insights into quilting in Milwaukee and its relevance at jodis9k32@gmail.com today!
