Front Page News

We made the front page of today's North Lawndale Community News NLCNSep22Pub11

Update September 21, 2011

I'd like to thank Mary Visconti and Billy Brooks for inviting me to participate with BBF's Parent Advisory Council, and for allowing me to share our project updates with the group. The project was well received. We are appreciative of the resources BBF is bringing to the project, including staff time and in-kind donations. We are excited that Karen Reyes, one of the instructors, will use the project as an option for a student(s)'s project, if they so choose. She has also agreed to donate fabric swatches. I'd like to welcome Reneau Diallo to the project team. Reneau is a nurse midwife who grew up in the North Lawndale community, and graduated from Farragut High School. Her grandmother was the first African American woman to graduate from Austin High School. Reneau is a highly skilled quilter who has in years past coordinated the Quilting Pavilion at the African Festival of the Arts. She has experience with traditional quilting techniques, as well as with art quilts and precision quilts. She has agreed to assist us with making the quilts, and she will facilitate the workshop on Underground Railroad quilting. Valerie F. Leonard

Thanks for Turning Out Last Night

We just wanted to take the time to say thanks for showing up to our first workshop last night. We had an awesome opportunity to hear the history of North Lawndale, and see sample quilts put together by Lisa Wilcoxen and Reneau Diallo. Valerie Leonard is learning howto quilt, and shared a project in progress. The next workshop will be Tuesday, September 27, and we will show participants how to navigate the blog and begin to develop quilts. Workshop 1 North Lawndale Stories

Tawanna Calvin, Co-Chairperson of the Historic K-Town Committee, shares the history of North Lawndale.

Mary Visconti, CEO of Better Boys Foundation, observes the story telling.

Reneau Diallo shares a picture of her mother's graduating class from Nash  School.

Lisa Wilcoxen shares one of her quilting samples.

Reneau Diallo, and her daughter Nicole, show a quilt depicting  African  Flags.

Let's Hear Your Story

Everyone Has a Story. We Want to Hear Yours on September 20th I don't know about you, but I get tired of reading about the history of North Lawndale, how it was once a lively community; how African Americans came here in the 1950's; the white flight and jobs leaving, and how the community was basically destroyed by the riots after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Almost every written history you read about the community seems to give the impression that our history stops after the Riots. Almost every newspaper account of the community is about the negatives—the crime, the poverty, the drugs, poor performing schools, etc. The truth of the matter is, North Lawndale is so much greater than that. African Americans have contributed so much--whether they are seemingly immortal figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., or they worked quietly in the shadows, in our churches, block clubs, families and community organizations. The North Lawndale African American Heritage Quilting Project is combining research, documentation, workshops and quilting to document the rich African American Experience here in North Lawndale. The lead organizations are Art Forward, Better Boys Foundation, Historic K-Town, Lawndale Historical and Cultural Society, Prevention Force Family Center, Sankofa Safe Child Initiative and Urban Art Retreat. I am the project manager. We will host a series of workshops to share our stories and learn embroidery and quilting skills. At the end of the process, we will create a beautiful community quilt(s) that includes our stories and helps us to build community and strengthen our social fabric. Our first workshop will be Tuesday, September 20, 2011 from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm at Better Boys Foundation (BBF), on the corner of 15th and Pulaski. We will get an overview of North Lawndale history from an African American perspective, and share our own stories of family and neighborhood traditions. You will have the chance to start your first quilting block, using fabric markers to write a message or draw a picture to tell a story. These blocks will be used for the community quilt. We have included brochures and flyers with more information about the project. Please, print out the flyers and pass them on to your neighbors and encourage them to come out. Also, forward this e-mail to everyone you know who might be interested. It is so important that we begin to focus on the little things that make this community great. We look forward to seeing you tonight. In the meantime, if you have any questions, let me know. Brochure 2 Poster 2 One Fourth Page Flyer Quilting

Project Status September 2, 2011

The project is gaining momentum. We hope you can participate.
North Lawndale African Heritage Quilting Project Status 9-2-11

Back to the Drawing Board

The design for our first poster didn't work so well for a poster. Here's a second shot.
Poster 2

Check Out Our First Quilt

We just finished the artwork for the sign we will be using for the African Festival of the Arts on Labor Day. Check it out.

Poster 1