For the fifth year in a row and in its commitment to building literacy consciousness through book reading and storytelling, the Heritage Quilters Giving Circle, a diverse group of quilting artists from Warren and Vance counties, donated culturally-significant children’s books to the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.- Rho Tau Omega Chapter in Warrenton, NC for their annual African American Read-In program.

BOOKS DONATED:

AS THE SEAS RISE: Nicole Hernández Hammer and the Fight for Climate Justice
By Angela Quezada Padron

As a baby, Nicole survived an earthquake in Guatemala. She grew up in Guatemala’s beautiful jungles. Throughout her life, Nicole witnessed the power and wonder of nature. But she soon realized nature was in trouble. Her own community in Florida was struggling. And everyone needed to become resilient.

In this lyrical biography, readers will meet environmental scientist and climate activist Nicole Hernández Hammer and hear the message she’s spent her career sharing: As we look to the future, we can empower and protect our communities. But that will only be possible if we all work together—including the smallest of us.

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

JERRY CHANGED THE GAME!: How Engineer Jerry Lawson Revolutionized Video Games Forever
By Don Tate

Before Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch, there was a tinkerer named Jerry Lawson.

As a boy, Jerry loved playing with springs, sprockets, and gadget-y things. When he grew up, Jerry became an engineer—a professional tinkerer—and in the 1970s, he turned his technical know-how to video games.

Back then, if players wanted a new video game, they had to buy an entire new console, making gaming very expensive. Jerry was determined to fix this problem, and despite roadblocks along the way and having to repeat a level or two, it was never game over for his mission. Eventually, he leveled up and built a brand-new kind of video game console: one that allowed players to switch out cartridges! He also founded Video Soft, Inc., the first African American–owned video game company in the country.

Jerry’s tinkering and inventions changed the video gaming world forever. Today, gamers have access to hundreds of video games at the push of a button, all thanks to him. Game on!

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE
By Jarrett Krosoczka

“Serving justice . . . and lunch!
“Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes–she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

FLYING HIGH: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles
By Michelle Meadows

A lyrical picture book biography of Simone Biles, gymnastics champion and Olympic superstar.

Before she was a record-breaking gymnast competing on the world stage, Simone Biles spent time in foster care as a young child. Nimble and boundlessly energetic, she cherished every playground and each new backyard.

When she was six years old, Simone’s family took shape in a different way. Her grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles adopted Simone and her sister Adria. Ron and Nellie became their parents. Simone was also introduced to gymnastics that same year, launching a lifelong passion fueled by remarkable talent, sacrifice, and the undying support of her family.

From her athletic early childhood to the height of her success as an Olympic champion, Flying High is the story of the world’s greatest gymnast from author Michelle Meadows and illustrator Ebony Glenn.

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

CLAUDETTE COLVIN: I Want Freedom Now!
By Phillip Hoose and Claudette Colvin

Montgomery, Alabama 1955. Fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin is tired. Tired of white people thinking they’re better than her. Tired of going to separate schools and separate bathrooms. Most of all, she’s tired of having to give up her seat on the bus whenever a white person tells her to. She wants freedom NOW! But what can one teenager do?

On a bus ride home from school one day, young Claudette takes a stand for justice and refuses to get up from her seat—nine months before Rosa Parks will become famous for doing the same. What follows will not only transform Claudette’s life but the course of history itself.

In the words of Claudette Colvin herself, as told to acclaimed nonfiction writer Phillip Hoose, this empowering, heroic story illustrates how one simple act of courage can create real and lasting change.

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

KETANJI: Justice Jackson’s Journey to the U.S. Supreme Court
By Kekla Magoon

Ketanji Brown Jackson is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. When a high school guidance counselor told her she should set her sights lower than Harvard, she decided to go to Harvard for college and law school.
When she became a public defender and saw inequalities in the justice system, she used her legal skills to advocate for people who needed help, but couldn’t afford an attorney.
Ketanji’s path to the Supreme Court was unique: She’s the only current Justice to have been a public defender and one of a few who went to public school. Her story is powerful and heartening, and it’s a lesson in overcoming adversity by being true to yourself.

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

TEN LIVES, TEN DEMANDS: Life-and-Death Stories, and a Black Activist’s Blueprint for Racial Justice
By Solomon Jones

Told through the powerful stories of Black lives that were ravaged by racism, this manifesto holds 10 demands to rectify racial injustice

Told through his perspective as an activist, acclaimed commentator Solomon Jones tells the stories of real people whose lives and deaths pushed the Black Lives Matter movement forward. He explains how each act of violence was incited by specific instances of structural racism, and details concrete and actionable strategies to address crimes committed by our “justice” system.

These stories and strategies are a critical resource for social justice activists looking to further their anti-racist education. These 10 demands form an actionable plan that is necessary to repair our racist past, change the racist present, and bring justice to the future

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

BUTTER: Novellas, Stories, and Fragments
By Gayl Jones

Gayl Jones, who was first edited by Toni Morrison, has been described as one of the great literary writers of the 20th century and was recently a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. This new collection of short fiction is only the second in her rich career, and one that displays her strengths in the genre in many facets. Opening with two novella-length works, “Butter” and “Sophia,” this collection features Jones’s legendary talents in a range of settings and styles, from the hyper-realist to the mystical, in intricate multi-part stories, in more traditional forms, and even in short fragments.

Her narrators are women and men, Black, Brown, Indigenous; her settings are historical and contemporary, in South America, Mexico and the US; her themes center on complex identities, unorthodox longings and aspirations. She writes about spies, photographers, playground designers, cartoonists, and baristas, about workers and revolutionaries, about environmentalism, feminism, poetry, film and love, but above all about our multicultural, multiethnic and multiracial society.

AVAILABLE: Bookshop | Amazon

Jereann King Johnson places a Heritage Quilters gift label in one of the donated books. / Crystal Myrick (Warrenist)

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During a brisk Saturday afternoon, several gathered inside a well-heated tent at the Heritage Cultural Farm for their first Black History Month program. The program featured a documentary showing that reflected African American figures and stories that have yet to reach mainstream recognition. Herman and Veronica Alston, co-owners of the Heritage Cultural Farm welcomed everyone and treated the attendees with homemade chicken soup and sausage biscuits from their friend, Larry Andrews. Andrews, a Franklin County resident enlightened attentive listeners with a compilation of Dr. MLK speeches, intertwining familiar and lesser known speeches (watch below).

For those looking for a little retail therapy, the Country Store on the property was open and filled with products derived from North Carolina producers.

The next event is scheduled for Saturday, March 1st featuring the Heritage Quilters. The local artisan group will speak about the history of quilting.

The Heritage Cultural Farm is located at 102 Clint Street in Warrenton, NC.

VIDEO: Larry Andrews recites Dr. MLK speeches

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For over four decades, Jereann King Johnson has woven various fabrics with intricate details into her quilted works to share stories and traditions with the world.

Now, her own life story is being told in an upcoming documentary.

The Resource Center for Women and Ministry and the Black Feminist Film School are producing, “Not I, But OUR: Jereann King Johnson, a Life of Art, Activism, and Community Building,” (working title) a documentary film that will tell the story of the life and work of African American quilter, educator, and community organizer Jereann King Johnson.

A long-time Warren County resident, Johnson pieces together people, organizations, and resources into racial and social justice. For Johnson, quilting is a dynamic metaphor for living, community development, and creative expression; quilting involves putting together often-discarded pieces to make something new.

Using archival footage and interviews with Johnson and her colleagues and friends, they will create and distribute a one-hour (56:46) documentary film. Rafael Samanez and Leilani Clark of Elevate Media Films are working their magic as the filmmakers and producers.

When asked, Johnson stated that she “felt honored” that the women in her circle saw something in her that merited time and resources to tell a story. She continued. “And the story is more than just my story, it’s the story of many black women who emerged from strong communities that show them a way to muster up the courage to try and build better communities for everybody. I hope that my story reflects the stories of countless women who are inspired by the work of their hands and in my case, quilting and textile arts to step out of the box and work for social change.”

Jereann King Johnson has a legacy of artistic creation and working for equality. She assisted in launching two quilting groups: African American Quilt Circle in Durham and the Heritage Quilters in Warrenton, NC.

Johnson and her fellow quilters work to preserve and highlight African American quilting traditions; they also speak to the present moment by creating quilts that artistically portray historic and current events. One such quilt of Johnson’s is called “Hope in Impossible Odds.” Made with black and white cotton and red linen, it depicts a figure behind bars against a swirling black-and-white background.

In addition to quilting, the Heritage Quilters work directly in the community by leading community tours, working with the schools, and organizing a giving circle that funds scholarships and youth field trips.

In the film, the producers will document the many ways that Johnson has been a pivotal figure in her community and beyond, and show the ways she connects people, encourages artistic expression, preserves and contributes to a fiber arts tradition, and works for justice.

The Resource Center for Women and Ministry is hosting an exclusive sneak peek of the forthcoming documentary on Sunday, August 25, from 3-5 pm at The Fruit in Durham. Alongside Johnson, attendees will meet director Courtney Reid-Eaton and film editor Tamar Rachkovsky. To donate or for more information, visit rcwms.org.

The Fruit is located at 305 S. Dillard Street in Durham, NC.

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LeAndrea Daise, a bright and dedicated student, has been awarded the prestigious Louise Spruill Scholarship, presented by the Heritage Quilters. This $500 scholarship will support the Henderson Collegiate graduate as she embarks on her academic journey at Elizabeth City State University, where she plans to major in Emergency Management.

The Louise Spruill Scholarship was named in honor of one of the founding members of the Heritage Quilters. The scholarship is made possible by the generous contributions of donors and the tireless fundraising efforts of the organization.

The Heritage Quilters and the entire community are proud to support LeAndrea in her educational pursuits and look forward to her future successes.

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About a dozen Warren County Schools teachers and staff members explored the community and culture of Warren County in what has become an annual tradition.

Sponsored by the Heritage Quilters and the Warren Education Fund, the New Staff and Teacher Tour is meant “to highlight Warren County’s cultural, historic, economic, and social landscapes from the perspectives of grassroots community members.” The goal is for those who attend the tour can become familiar with the community the students their students live in and also look to these places as resources for classroom activities or potential field trips.

Led by Heritage Quilters member, Jereann King Johnson, the tour began with a meet and greet and breakfast at 134 on Main and stops at the John Hyman Commemorative Sign; Warren County Courthouse; Aaron Hendrick House; F&M Trailer Park; Cherry Hill; Haliwa-Saponi School and Community; Buck Spring; Warren County Training School/North Warren High School; Seven Springs Farm & Vineyard; and Soul City.

Source: HeritageQuilters.net/giving

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In support of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. – Rho Tau Omega Chapter – Warrenton, North Carolina, African American Read-in, The Heritage Quilters Giving Circle, Inc., proudly donates the following books:

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A vibrant quilted work of royal blue, gold, and white fabrics with gold embroidered lettering on display catches one’s attention when walking into Friends Two, a crafts boutique in downtown Warrenton on a Wednesday afternoon.

It’s the Warren County Training School-North Warren High School (WCTS-NWHS) commemorative quilt.

Composed of 49 blocks, each detailing a notable fact about or a black and white photograph featuring the school, the quilt stands as an artistic narrative framing the institution’s 100 year history.

Martina Williams, who attended the school, eagerly shared further insight about each block and Warren County history to media and customers who visited the shop for a cool reprieve from the heat in the form of lemonade, but were immediately drawn to the woven artwork.

A historical tidbit that tickled Williams happened almost a century ago on May 30, 1922. Records show that the School Board signed a contract for construction of a 6-room wooden building with $8,500. Exactly one month later, the construction was completed. “That wouldn’t happen today,” Williams quipped.

Close-up of quilt (: Crystal Myrick/Warrenist)

HOW A QUILT IS MADE
The quilt was no solo effort. A project of this magnitude required the expertise and creative vision of the right talents.

The WCTS-NWHS alumni immediately went to work determining which historic milestone deserved its own space. The alumni association commissioned Jereann King Johnson of the Heritage Quilters for guidance and to design the layout. Once the blocks were complete, Johnson proceeded to machine piece them together.

Next, Sherry Newton of Sherry’s Sew What embroidered the school name and message along the top of the quilt, followed by Betty Rollinson and Deborah Robertson of Friends Two putting on the finishing touches by quilting the three layers together.

And the results, a stunning representation of the educational institution’s timeline.

(l-r) Jereann King Johnson, Deborah Robertson, Betty Rollinson, Martina Williams (: Crystal Myrick/Warrenist)

Williams expressed her gratitude for the women’s hard work and dedication to completing the quilt. She hopes that it can be displayed in various locations throughout the county such as the Warren County Community Center, the Warren County Schools Central Office, and the Warren County Memorial Library. Her latter choice came to fruition this past weekend when it was on display in the library lobby during a Liberating Futures program.

During Memorial Day weekend, the school alumni will gather for Friday and Saturday evening events to celebrate the centennial. Along with catching up and chatting about yesteryear, they now have a new conversation piece that can carry on the school’s rich legacy.

Take a look at the Warren County Training School-North Warren High School (WCTS-NWHS) commemorative quilt below:

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These two organizations share a common thread: cultivating and encouraging youth literacy.

For the second year in a row and in its commitment to building literacy consciousness through book reading and storytelling, the Heritage Quilters Giving Circle, a diverse group of quilting artists from Warren and Vance counties, donated children’s books to the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.- Rho Tau Omega Chapter.

The sorority received five copies each of The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson and The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem For the Country by Amanda Gorman.

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, recommended reading of ages 7 to 10 years, tells the story of a young student‘s assignment to create a family tree and learns from her Grandmama the ancestors’ history that goes back to 1619.

Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman read The Hill We Climb at the inaugural of President Joe Biden. The poem calls for unity and justice, through both reckoning with the nation’s past and looking toward its future. It is recommended reading for all.

When asked why those specific books were chosen, Heritage Quilters Giving Circle president, Jereann King Johnson acknowledged the cultural and historic significance and relevance of each selection. She singled out Gorman’s book because it highlighted the accomplishments of a young writer and believed it would be relevant to young Warren County readers.

Organized in 2001, the Heritage Quilters and their love for the quilting arts have catapulted them to being recognized as a philanthropic organization that, with their skills and artistic vision, have allowed them to provide scholarships for area college-bound students, fund summer field trips, maintain a historic house in Warren County, North Carolina, and conduct Mathematics-based curriculum workshops for elementary-aged students.

For more informtion about the Heritage Quilters, visit the website at: www.heritagequilters.net.

(from l-r) Margaret Bullock, Jereann King Johnson, Magnolia Clanton, Belinda Mack Alston

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