A quilt made from pine burr pattern patches. Photo courtesy of the Childress Collection from Anonymous Quilt (all rights reserved, used by permission).
Official State Quilt of Alabama
Alabama designated the Pine Burr Quilt as the official state quilt in 1997. The Freedom Quilting Bee was organized as an outgrowth of the Civil Rights Movement in 1966.
Black workers were losing their jobs in retaliation for registering to vote, so the women formed an economic cooperative to sell their quilts. Their goal was to raise money for the Civil Rights Movement and to earn money for their families.
Their quilts have been displayed at the Smithsonian Museum, and quilts made from their patterns were sold all over the country through Sears and other stores. All State Cultural Heritage Symbols
From the Alabama legislation :
WHEREAS, the Freedom Quilting Bee was organized as an outgrowth of the Civil Rights Movement in 1966, one of the few all Black women's cooperatives in the country; and
WHEREAS, the Freedom Quilting Bee has achieved national recognition for its quilts by using designs that come from 140-year-old tradition; and...
… WHEREAS, a love and understanding of the history of our state are enhanced by traditions that have become a part of our way of life and the customs of the American people, and the official recognition of the Pine Burr Quilt will indeed enhance the cultural stature of Alabama both nationally and internationally; now therefore,
...in recognition of a meaningful symbol for a state quilt, the Pine Burr Quilt is hereby designated as the official state quilt of Alabama.
(partial text; see full text at source link)
