LIKE FAMILY

A recreation of a family burial-ground I visited in Laurens, South Carolina in 2019. Here, several of my white ancestors are buried in graves marked with elaborately carved tombstones. Around them are sunken graves marked only with an unhewn rock—likely the burial site of the people enslaved by my family. Outside the walls of this graveyard, there are more sunken graves, which raises the question for me of gate-keeping: who was allowed into the privilege space of my family, and who was kept out? On this quilt, you can see embroidered tombstones of my ancestors, as well as five memorial crosses with the known names of those enslaved by my family. Part of the Southern White Amnesia series. View my process content on Instagram here. Repurposed materials (2023). Approximately 38” x 36”