Until the 19th century, the residents of Gee’s Bend grew cotton and other cash crops on their land. They joined the political movement during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, empowered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s efforts. The residents tried to vote, but authorities eliminated the ferry service they needed to get to the voting center. The suspension of the ferry isolated the community. That is when the women of Gee’s Bend founded the Freedom Quilting Bee, a workers’ cooperative that provided economic opportunity and political empowerment. Since then, the unique patchwork and quilting have been a signature of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, being showcased at museums worldwide and telling the story of how women help culture progress through generations, never letting it go.
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