Blackbirds  began as a collection of black and white strips of Ankara and Kente cloth and small solid white Bazin fabric. Strips are arranged and sewn onto the white blocks. “I decided to add long strips of cloth between patterns that had already begun to emerge. I then saw the wings and they spoke to my very soul. I began to think about a term I had heard, Blackbird. The piece had already taken on a life of its own. Something deep had indeed been guiding me and I was feeling all the feels - I couldn’t let what I had learned about Blackbirds go….”  
This design uses repetition, geometry, and contrast to confront the history of Blackbirding in the United States, systems of coercion that continued to entrap Black people after the formal end of slavery through deception, forced labor contracts, convict leasing, and abduction. The sharp angles create a sense of pressure, as if movement is constantly redirected rather than allowed to progress freely. The high contrast between dark and light fields reflect motion constrained—migration without choice.
The overall composition resembles a net or lattice, referencing the mechanisms used to capture labor: contracts, laws, rail lines, and patrols. Once caught, movement was allowed only within prescribed boundaries. The design refuses stillness while asking  viewers to look beyond symmetry and ask what order conceals. 
Black and white string quilt with Ankara print and African brocade. Approx. 44"x44"  Ready to Hang