Quilts & Human Rights

Scott and I attended the Quilts and Human Rights exhibit at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL, this weekend.  It was a stunning exhibit - excellent - and powerful. Highly recommend!  The exhibit has been extended through May 11.  Here is the link.   Quilts portrayed human rights issues of many types, including racial inequity in the US and around the world, discrimination, and acts of violence and hatred.  

I am sorry you cannot zoom in on the captions, the backstories were so powerful.  My own iphone died on the way to the exhibit, and my husband's phone's photos were not very sharp.  I am sorry I do not remember the makers of these amazing works.  I was hoping to have that information in my photos.  You could contact the museum for the details.  

This was about Native American issues in Minnesota. 

This was a photo collage of many (hundreds) of quilts made in response to the killings at the Pulse (gay) nightclub in Florida.  

The story of the Hmong people. 

About atrocities in Laos.

This museum is on the very site where 5 innocents were killed, and others were injured, in a campus shooting 10 years ago.  This is one of 5 memorial quilts made to commemorate the lives lost. 

About survivors of the holocaust. 

Making a statement about the garment industry, and unfair labor practices. 

One woman's journey, after being attacked - from victim, to survivor. 

American Civic Rights heroes. 

Made by Denyse Schmidt, the original was made in response to Barack Obama's campaign, and his message of hope and change. The original was won by a donor to the campaign, and this copy was commissioned by Michigan State University, and is part of their permanent collection.   

Made by Jacquie Gering, called "Aftermath", in response to the bombings at the Boston Marathon.

A powerful and important exhibit, about a topic so much at the forefront in today's news - and in all of our lives.