African-American Quilting: The Cloth Sings to Me
Videos are generally available for preview to non-members as short clips. Limited full-length titles are also available. Log In to view the full length title.
Browse Full-length Non-member Titles
Presents African American quiltmakers who use cloth and other materials, including African fabrics, to record family histories, current events, and their own personal stories. Textile historian Dr. Floris Cash discusses how quilts are interwoven with the lives of black women in America.
Media Details
Runtime: 17 minutes 15 seconds
- Topic: History, Social Science
- Subtopic: African-Americans, Multiculturalism
- Grade/Interest Level: 9 - 12
- Standards:
- Release Year: 1995
- Producer/Distributor: Filmakers Library, Inc
- Report a Problem
Available Resources
Related Media

10 Things You Don't Know About Civil Rights

1960: Skin Deep

1961, The Road to Freedom

A Story, A Story

A. Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom

African-American Heroes of Sport

All About the Holidays: Black History Month

All About the Holidays: Black History Month (Spanish)

All About the Holidays: Kwanzaa

All About the Holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
I thought this would cover historical African-American quilts, possibly made by slaves, telling a story. Instead, it showed current African-American quilters talking about their largely-machine made quilts, many without an African-American theme. My textiles students enjoyed the video though, as the quilts had interesting colors and patterns, and it showed how quilting/crafting or being part of any group of people with similar interests can be a life-enhancing activity. I also shared with them how I joined a quilting group when things were getting ugly at my work, and how therapeutic this was.