Diane Barret, who works with GMOA's Senior Outreach Program and contributed an essay to our most recent Green Symposium publication of papers, "A Colorful Past" (available for purchase from the Museum Shop), on African American quilters, recently attended the 100th birthday celebration of Mary Brown, one of the quilters she profiled in her paper. Here's Diane's report on the party:
Well, I wish you could have been at Mary Brown's centennial birthday celebration last Sunday. It was an AMAZING experience for me! -- so interesting to see how a large African American family celebrates something like that! The mayor of Decatur read a long proclamation and declared Feb. 18th "Mary Brown Day" in Decatur. The mayor of Greensboro presented Mary with a key to the city. One of Jimmy Carter's grandsons read a congratulatory letter from his grandparents....then Mary's daughter Elizabeth Wilson (former mayor of Decatur) paid a very moving tribute to her mother. She talked about Mary chopping cotton, working in the households of people in Greensboro, raising 9 children, making innumerable quilts, being a mother of the church, etc. Then she said: "I want to praise my mother for her voting record. She voted at a time when voting wasn't easy, and she taught her children the importance of casting their vote. She just cast her most recent vote for the first Af-American president, Barack Obama." Well, I was very moved by all of this......
They had the quilt I had made of Mary on an easel at the entrance of the Solarium, and I presented Mary with the book "A Colorful Past" on behalf of the museum. She was pleased, but her children were absolutely THRILLED to have their mother's story in print. I'm sure you will sell a number of copies to her family. I certainly felt honored to be a part of it all....
I think just about every one of her 6 living children, 26 grandchildren, 70 great grandchildren, and 28 great great grandchildren were there and were in the line to speak to her. Her two "baby" sisters, age 88 and 90, were there. I've never seen so much longevity. There was some very tiny little woman in a wheel chair near Mary--I never did ascertain who she was, but I did find out that she was 99!! One room was filled with Mary's quilts and handwork plus a treadle Singer sewing machine. There was lots of food -- including tea cakes which Mary asked for...Anyway, I know you would have loved being there!
We certainly do admire Ms. Brown, and we thank Diane for sending along pictures and for passing along the book!
No comments:
Post a Comment