Black History Month: Understanding The Underground Railroad Quilt
February is Black History Month and students in second and fourth grade classes had the privilege of attending a presentation given by the mother of PCA Resource Coordinator, Ashley Lowry. Mrs. White is a quilter, and in 2006 she made her first Sampler Underground Railroad Quilt to share it with Mrs. Lowry’s classes in Florence, SC during Black History Month.
In 2022, Mrs. White was asked to give her presentation of the quilt to her local public library in honor of Black History Month.
So, what is an Underground Railroad Quilt? During the time of slavery, many of the enslaved would attempt to use what is known as the Underground Railroad to escape to the North to freedom. They did this by way of countless brave and Godly people who shared their homes as a brief refuge for those who were risking their lives to get to safety. One of the ways that secret messages were passed to those who were trying to escape was through coded patterns made into large quilts. Helpers of the Underground Railroad would hang these quilts outside their houses and when those who were trying to escape would see the code, they would know what to do.
Many of our students asked, “but how did the enslaved know what the codes meant?”
Blacksmiths served a primary role in preparing the enslaved for their departures. They would typically work for several plantations and could communicate the meanings of the different quilt patterns (or codes) to the enslaved throughout the area. A blacksmith was often loaned out to neighboring plantations, so he knew the lay of the land.
Several times during the presentation Mrs. White mentioned the Master Carpenter. The Master Carpenter was a pattern on a quilt but it ultimately stood for the Almighty Lord, Jesus. Drawing their strength and perseverance through their Christian faith, the enslaved worked in the fields, and as they did, they sang the well-known spiritual song about a chariot that was to carry them home. The hidden message was a directive to plan their escape.
All in all there were 15 patterns used and those were the patterns that White quilted on her sampler quilt. In the second grade classes, White read the book, "The Patchwork Path-A Quilt Map to Freedom" and discussed the patterns of the quilt afterwards.
For the fourth grade class, White handed out 15 slips of paper to the students and as she went down the quilt, she called the number of the square. Students would then come up to the front and read a description of the pattern, then Mrs. White would further explain how the pattern was used.
“I enjoyed being able to share an important story and have interaction with students who were very attentive and seemed to be really interested in the subject matter,” said White. “I am thankful for the opportunity to see that we are blessed to have our grandchildren at Palmetto Christian Academy.”
PCA thanks Mrs. White for coming in to speak with the students on such a powerful subject.