LaShawnda Crowe Storm's quilt is provocative and disturbing -- and purposely so.
The quilt, "Her Name Was Laura Nelson," depicts the life-size image of the lynching of a black woman a century ago.
And now it is available at the Indianapolis Central Library for all to see and ponder and discuss. The quilt will be shown through March 23 as part of the library's "Meet the Artists" exhibit, which includes pieces from 15 local black artists.
The piece drew some strong reactions from those who walked by the exhibit on Sunday.
"I find it very offensive," said Randolph Davison, 55, an African-American and retired serviceman from Gary. "We've been through enough and don't need remembrances like this."
Davison said a piece like this does not belong in a public library.
"It makes me want to cry," he said.
Tamara Moore, 37, a white woman from Indianapolis, was with her 7-year-old daughter, Samantha, when they came across the quilt.
Samantha seemed confused by the image, but her mother was clearly outraged by it.
"Why would they make a quilt like that? It's horrible," Moore said, who also said she didn't think it belonged in a public library.
Oft-ignored history
The artist says such a response is a good thing. For many, Crowe Storm said, viewing the quilt is like opening a wound. No wound heals, she said, until it bleeds.
"Something that needs to be addressed is this history of racism," Crowe Storm said. "Lynching was really about controlling a population to stay in their place."
Community leaders and scholars say the quilt is a reminder of a time in history many would rather ignore.
There is no ignoring this quilt. The woman's image comes from a black-and-white photo of a lynching near Okemah, Okla., on May 25, 1911.
In a sea of soft white fabric bordered by black and red, the body of Laura Nelson dangles from a rope, head cocked sharply to the side on her broken neck.
"The art form is very important in the telling of the stories of black people," said Valerie Grim, chairwoman of Indiana University's Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies. "Lynching, as a reality of black people, was one of the worst moments in the history of America."
The quilt reminds us of terrible deeds and ugly times. The wounds of slavery, racism and oppression still linger in the U.S., Grim said, and it's important to face our past, regardless of how uncomfortable it makes us.
Teaching the young
The Rev. Charles Harrison, pastor at Barnes United Methodist Church, said he understands that many will be hurt by the image on the quilt.
Still, he thinks it is an important teaching tool.
"For those who are old enough to remember the dark past, it's a reminder," said Harrison, the president of the Ten Point Coalition, a faith-based anti-crime group that counsels inner-city youths.
"Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves and the younger generation of the heavy price that was paid by those who were part of the civil rights movement."
John H. Stanfield II, a professor in IU's Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies, said the library must be responsible in how it presents the quilt.
"The quilt is not only an art piece," Stanfield said, "but also a device that should be used to educate the public about the horrors of lynching."
The quilt, he said, might be a catalyst for discussion and action.
"Ready or not, our moment for serious discussion has arrived," Stanfield said. "None of us, irrespective of our ancestry, can afford to remain ignorant, naive, prejudiced or fearful about racial differences."
Opening a dialogue
Stanfield said the library must ensure that the quilt does more than simply shock and disturb.
Jackie Nytes, the Indianapolis Public Library's chief executive officer, said the quilt is part of a broader educational effort.
"It's not an easy subject, no doubt about it," Nytes said. "Neither were the AIDS quilts when those were circulated around the country."
The quilt confronts patrons as they step off an escalator on the library's third floor.
A black nylon partition keeps the public a little more than an arm's length away. Although the quilt is not under guard, library staff are always in the vicinity.
"For any parents who find themselves in the situation of walking past it with their child, I hope they are able to say: 'This was a very sad time in American history, and we don't do this anymore,'" Nytes said. "This is a learning moment. We don't do our kids any favors by pretending it didn't happen."
Exhibit curator Tony Radford said a committee that accepted the Crowe Storm quilt believed it was designed to enlighten, educate and heal. The display includes signs explaining the artist's background and goals for the piece.
"(February) is Black History Month, and this is part of our history, our culture," said Radford, also an artist who will have some pieces on display in the exhibit. "Art is not always going to be pretty flowers."
Part of our past
Thousands of men and more than 100 women were lynched in America between 1850 and 1950, but Crowe Storm said Laura Nelson was the only woman she could find who was photographed in the noose.
Having a woman on the quilt was important, Crowe Storm said, because she hopes her piece brings up issues of gender and violence.
"Lynching is not just a black history; it's an American history," Crowe Storm said. "We must begin to address it as a nation, or we won't be able to move forward."
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