Handmade, History Infused Stone Center Announces Upcoming Exhibit of African-American Quilts
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MILESTONESThe Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History f a l l 2 0 0 6 · volume 6 · i s s u e 2 www.unc.edu/depts/stonecenter Handmade, History Infused Stone Center announces upcoming exhibit of African-American Quilts ince its opening in August 2004, the by UNC Press in 2005, features one of Stone Center continues to build its her patchwork designs on its cover and Sreputation as a space for academic illustrates the conjoining of her academic pursuits, community engagement, and and artistic interests. In Williams’s cultural enrichment. The Robert and collection of quilts, each panel of the Sallie Brown Gallery and Museum, located exhibit contributes to a compelling on the ground floor of the Stone Center, narrative interpreting black life; stitched, has served as an elegant and inviting preserved, and evoked through material exhibition space for the visual arts hosting culture. The Hewitt Collection of African-American Inbetween Spaces: Textured Imaginings of Art, Letters from Home: The Art of Michael African-American Lives will be exhibited in Harris, and Fleeting Memory, Enduring the Robert and Sallie Brown Gallery and Legacy: The People of La Costa Chica, Museum from September 21–December Oaxaca, Mexico. From charcoal lithographs 6, 2006. and oil paintings to mixed installations In association with the exhibit, the and black & white photography; the Stone Center will host two reading and gallery and museum has served as a place discussion sessions on quilting in the for engaging various artistic expressions black experience. On September 28th, produced throughout the African the discussion will focus on Elsa Barkley Diaspora. With its upcoming exhibit, Brown’s essay, “African American Inbetween Spaces: Textured Imaginings of Women’s Quilting: A Framework for African-American Lives the Robert and Conceptualizing and Teaching African Sallie Brown Gallery will provide patrons American Women’s History” and on an opportunity to explore the place of the History Quilt by Heather Williams November 16th, Alice Walker’s short textile arts in African American history and story, Everyday Use. culture. Williams enlists vibrant colors and sensuous The center also will sponsor a quilting Inbetween Spaces: Textured Imaginings of textures to render imaginative, informed— workshop facilitated by Williams (date TBA). African-American Lives features twenty-one poignant, representations of the black experience The exhibit and programs are free and open quilts designed and handmade by Heather in the United States. The book Self Taught: to the public. All programs for Inbetween Spaces Andrea Williams, assistant professor of history African American Education in Slavery and will be held in the gallery. n at UNC-Chapel Hill. In her collection Dr. Freedom, authored by Williams and published First African-American and Woman Mayor of Greenville, Mississippi to Deliver 2006 Stone Memorial Lecture Heather McTeer Hudson, first African- controversy, and tough times. Located in the Greenville civic American and woman to serve as mayor of Delta region of Mississippi, blacks comprise activities include Greenville, Mississippi, will deliver the 2006 nearly 70 percent of the city’s population and co-founding a non- Sonja Haynes Stone Memorial Lecture, according to Hudson, remain “…on the bottom, profit organization November 9, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. in the Stone in terms of education, health and economic called Project Give Center Hitchcock Room. development.” The Delta region has historically Back. She is also the been one of the poorest regions in the country. Executive Director eather McTeer Hudson knew that While Hudson acknowledges that Greenville of the McTeer tough challenges lay ahead when has great resources and a great educated and Foundation, a non- Hshe was elected mayor of Greenville, trained workforce, her main goal as mayor is profit organization Mississippi in 2004. While many young and economic development. She hopes to lower the that serves over educated blacks might have left Greenville crime rate, build affordable housing, and attract 25 Mississippi Hudson behind for the big city life, Hudson decided large companies and jobs. Mayor Hudson is no School districts and differently. After graduating from Tulane stranger to helping build economic opportunity; over 2,000 students. In addition, the National University Law School in 2001, she dismissed while in college she spent a summer in Kenya, Conference of Black Mayors recently elected her the possibility of becoming a high-powered East Africa with the Crossroads Africa program to serve as 3rd Vice President. attorney and decided to return to her hometown helping to train women in business. The Sonja Haynes Stone Memorial Lecture to make a difference. Displeased with the lack of Mayor Hudson also recognizes that racial is the signature program of the Center. It progress that the city had made, Hudson decided reconciliation is another important challenge features accomplished and distinguished African- that she wanted to help by getting involved in for Greenville. A 2004 poll by the Delta Business American female lecturers whose work embodies government. Journal Online indicated 86% of respondents the spirit and vision of Dr. Sonja Haynes Stone. Greenville, a city with an estimated believed that racial issues are still an obstacle in This lecture is free and open to the public. population of almost 40,000 citizens, is Mississippi. For more information, contact the Stone Center not unlike many small towns in the South. Mayor Hudson is currently an attorney at (919) 962-9001 or visit www.unc.edu/depts/ Greenville is no stranger to racial divide, with McTeer & Associates Law firm. Her other stonecenter. n MILESTONES · FA ll 2 0 0 6 Students Use Undergraduate International Studies Fellowships to Travel and Study Abroad Stone Center fellowships contribute to UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus internationalization efforts his fall 2006, Tiffany Okafor and who might not otherwise have the financial international activity for students, faculty, staff, Jonathan Pourzal will return to resources to participate in an international alumni, North Carolina citizens, and national Tthe UNC-Chapel Hill campus studies program. and international guests. The building will be intellectually inspired and culturally enriched Since 2004, several students have benefited named in recognition of a $5 million gift from after using Stone Center Undergraduate from The Stone Center Undergraduate the FedEx Corporation. International Studies Fellowships (UISF) for International Studies Fellowships. While on a The FedEx Global Education Center travel abroad during summer 2006. The annual mission to enhance their academic, personal is currently under construction on the fellowship program, funded through a generous and professional development, the past western end of campus near Pittsboro and gift of an anonymous alumnus, is administered fellowship recipients traveled to such places as McCauley streets and is to open in early 2007. by the Stone Center and gives students from Africa, Morocco and England. Beginning with the dedication in the spring, underrepresented groups up to $2,500 each to These fellowship recipients traveled to the the University plans to launch a yearlong pursue study or academic research abroad. following destinations: series of activities and programs highlighting Okafor, a junior majoring in dramatic art, UNC at Chapel Hill’s international assets and used her fellowship to travel to England where • Christina Lee – Bamako, Mali aspirations. she worked with two local theatre companies; • Clayton Perry – Accra, Ghana The new Global Education Center will the Apples & Snakes Performance Poetry • Amy Oraefo – Ghana and Nigeria house in one place all international and area Company and the Theatre Royal - Stratford • Mejs Hasan – Stockholm, Sweden studies programs for the College of Arts and East. Following her summer abroad, Okafor’s • Maurice Hines – Morocco Sciences, include spaces for interaction among immediate plans are to use the experience students, faculty and visiting scholars, provide to research, write, and develop a one-hour Strengthening the classroom space and a theatrical production while long term, she University’s international videoconferencing center, hopes to establish a theatre company. focus and outreach is a top A major and serve as a research center Pourzal, a junior journalism and mass priority for UNC at Chapel purpose of the for visiting foreign and U.S. communications major, used his fellowship to Hill. Chancellor Moeser has scholars, as well as graduate return to Uganda to conduct further research designated 2007 as a year of Stone Center’s and professional students. examining the cost and benefits of different international focus for Carolina, Undergraduate The programs slated to move models of community economic projects in conjunction with the into the building include including microfinance and income generation opening of the 80,000 square- International the Office of Study Abroad, activities. He plans to use the information foot Global Education Center. Fellowship Office of International collected to develop an internship program The Global Education Center Student and Scholar Services, through the Student Movement to End Child is unique among American program is Curriculum in International Suffering, a student group that he founded at colleges and universities in to assist the and Area Studies, Carolina the University in 2005. its effort to bring together Asia Center,