Antislavery History Project Celebrates Juneteenth

By Journalist Dr. Ms. Jones

POUGHKEEPSIE – On Sunday, June 22nd the Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project celebrated Juneteenth with the “Oh, Freedom! Quilt Exhibition.” The event was held at the Walkway Over the Hudson at East Gate Plaza. The purpose was to memorialize the history of slavery and abolition in the Hudson Valley. The presentation discussed “Abolition Heroes of the Hudson Valley” and highlighted the importance of sharing and preserving local history.

“[Lucretia Mott, the “foremost white female abolitionist in the U.S,”] went to school at a Quaker boarding school [Nine Partners School located in Dutchess County]… Jacob Willetts and his wife [Deborah]… were teachers out at Nine Partners and they were involved in the Underground Railroad… Frederick Douglass… came to Poughkeepsie three times [to deliver speeches. These are just]… some of the abolitionists in Dutchess County that people may not have heard of,” said Peter Bunten, Executive Director of The Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project.

The Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project, a project of the Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project, uses quilting to teach the history of enslaved people in the Hudson Valley, the antislavery movement, and the Underground Railroad, thus fostering tradition and community. They instruct adults and children. The Master Quilters Narcita Medina and Anita Jones do the backing. They also help participants develop their own quilt squares to create quilts that will be exhibited throughout the region.

“The two of us are quilters. We saw this is a great mechanism to bring people together because the history of quilting is community, particularly in the African American community. People would come together and they would have Quilting Bees and they would tell stories and they would carry on traditions. We’re following that same tradition that’s been given to us from generation to generation to teach the history,” said Narcita Medina, Co-Founder of the Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project and Board Program Secretary of the Mid-Hudson Anti-Slavery Project.

The Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project partners with several organizations, including Oakwood Schools, the Putnam History Museum, the Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Branch Library, the First Congregational Church-UCC-Poughkeepsie, and Celebrating the African Spirit. Several of those organization’s quilts were displayed in the exhibition. Commissioned textile artists’ quilts were featured. The Quilt-N-Queens Guild from Jamaica Queens, New York, consisting primarily of African American quilters dedicated to the craft and legacy of quilting and fiber arts, also had several quilts exhibited, including the ones focused on Juneteenth.

“We make quilts for the veterans, the children in the foster care, the hospitals for the “preemies,” even seniors. But we collaborated with [The Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project] because [we’re] into history,” said Thadine Wormly, Co-President of the Quilt ‘N Queens who is celebrating 30 years as a guild.

The Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project presents quilt exhibitions in various locations around the Hudson Valley. The Project is funded by NYS Legislature and administered through Arts Mid-Hudson. It is also partially funded by the Vassar College Good Neighbors Partnership. It is also supported by the Dutchess and Putnam Community Grants Funds of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley. The next exhibition is at the First Congregational Church in Poughkeepsie on September 20th.

“We’re focusing on the question of communities of faith and abolition and human rights because this story actually tells a part of that story. So, we want to pull that out because we’re going to have it in an abolition church and we’re going to have the pastor of that church talk. We’re going to have someone from the Quaker community talk. I’m trying… to get someone from AME Zion to talk because AME Zion was also formed in the abolitionist movement,” said Laura Chenven, Board Secretary of the Mid-Hudson Anti-Slavery Project.

Journalist Ms. Jones