A Garment of Destiny: Our Collaborative Black History Month Quilt

For Black History Month, the school’s Culture & Heritage Committee will lead a collaborative art project in which students across all grade levels create a large community quilt inspired by the Gee’s Bend quilting tradition. Drawing on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words—“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny”—this project invites students to experience the power of shared history and collective storytelling. Gee’s Bend quilts, crafted for generations by African American women in rural Alabama, are known for their bold geometric patterns and their deep cultural significance within African American art, textile history, and the Civil Rights Movement. Each class will receive one or more strips of colorful cardstock to represent their “piece” of the quilt. Throughout February, classes will write the name of an important figure, event, or movement in Black history that has resonated with their learning. Older students may add names as these topics arise organically in lessons, while younger classes may decide together during read‑alouds or discussions. Teachers and students will drop completed strips in a collection basket near the office, where DE&I Committee members will assemble the pieces into a large quilt‑style bulletin board. The final display will visually represent our school’s shared learning and interconnectedness, just as Gee’s Bend quilts stitched together stories of resilience and community. This project unites lower and upper school students in a single creative expression of honor and remembrance. By month’s end, our “garment of destiny” will stand as a colorful celebration of Black history and our commitment to learning it together.