Say Their Names | Sara Trail, 2017

Black people are 3x more likely to be killed by a cop. In 2017, police killed 1,129 people and of those killed, 25% were black people. There is tragic loss that surrounds our nation on a daily basis so pervasively that we are all inundated with headlines, hashtags, protests, and social media movements trying to shine light on the injustices that disproportionately impact black Americans. "Say Their Names" is borrowed from the social media hashtag, #sayhername, a campaign aimed at bringing attention to the black women’s lives who are often invisible victims of police brutality.
I wanted to create something that would outlast the fleeting moment of a hashtag and would instead remain for years to come.  The motivation for this quilt was to help ensure that the stories of these victim are integrated into demands for justice, policy responses to police violence to police violence, and media representations of victims of police brutality. Like a page in a history book, this hand appliquéd quilt of names will be here forever and stand in remembrance of the innocent black women, men, and children whose lives were lost unjustly.

Materials: Cotton, shot cotton  
Techniques: Reverse-edge appliqué, hand embroidered, hand quilted
Finished Size: 50" x 60