In August 9, 2014, Michael Brown was eighteen years old, black, and unarmed. He was shot by a Ferguson Missouri police officer in broad daylight, his body left in the street for hours. Many weeks of protests followed. The event sparked conversations about police violence, militarization, and impunity. The protests received international attention and galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement.

I volunteered through Social Justice Sewing Academy to make a quilt for a family that has lost a loved one to violence. They have a long list of names they are working through. I was surprised when I was assigned a name that I recognized… at first I felt intimidated. It felt like a lot of pressure to make a quilt connected to such a well known incident. After sitting with this feeling for a while, I made a decision to set the wider significance of this event aside, and focus on Michael the individual, Michael the family member, Michael the young man with big dreams and a bright smile.

SJSA works with families to collect information that can help each volunteer quilter better honor the person they are memorializing. I was told that Michael’s favorite colors were black and red, that he loved his family, animals, art, taking things apart to figure out how they work, and making music. I did my best to incorporate all of these traits and interests through my fabric choices.

This project weighed heavily on me as I worked on it most of the summer. Michael was killed the summer after he graduated high school, the same age as my son when I made the quilt. This coincidence was not lost on me. It’s not right that this young man is gone. He should still be here. That’s all I have to say. Smarter people than me have said much on the subject. Read up. I recommend Caste by Isabel Wilkerson as a starting point.

This quilt now lives with Michael’s mother, activist and author Lesley McSpadden. I received an email from her stating that the quilt was remarkable and that she would cherish it along with the memories of her son. Hearing back from her was an unexpected gift and meant a lot to me.

It was a privilege and an honor to use my time and skills in this way. There are many ways to contribute to the mission of SJSA. You don’t have to make a whole quilt like I did. Contact them if you’d like to get involved.

Daisy Aschehoug of Warmfolk generously donated a set of acrylic templates for large curves and sent them all the way from Norway! Her templates brought my vision to life and made my work easier.
Audrey Esarey of Cotton and Bourbon volunteered to quilt this for me and I was very happy to take her up on that offer. I really appreciate both of these quilters! Their contributions helped me finish this project and I’m grateful.