Harriet Powers week continues…..
This past week, there was a very special event here in Athens, Georgia — the dedication ceremony for the new USPS Forever stamp honoring Harriet Powers.
The event was wonderful, starting with the Pledge of Allegiance by a retired USPS employee, and followed by an outstanding singing of the National Anthem by a current USPS carrier.
Mr. Fred Smith (a noted Athens-area historian) spoke eloquently about Harriet’s life and times here in Georgia, ending with this…
She did not require recognition to continue her work. She used what she had, where she was to say something that mattered. That is the lesson as relevant today as it was in her time.
Let us remember that these stamps are not an endpoint but a beginning. They invite conversation. They invite curiosity. They invite us to look closely at the life and contribution of those who have shaped our future in profound ways, even if they were not recognized in their own time.
Harriet Powers’ legacy is one of quiet strength and enduring creativity. It is a legacy that belongs not only to Clark County Not only to Georgia, but to the nation as a whole.
And may we carry it forward with the same care, intention, and vision that she brought to every stage of her life.
During the ceremony, speakers reflected on Harriet Powers’ extraordinary legacy and how her quilts transformed storytelling into art. Although only two of her quilts survive today, they remain among the most important examples of American folk art and African American quilt history.
After the unveiling……
….I was asked to speak as a present-day quilter and member of the Cotton Patch Quilters Guild.
It was especially moving to stand in the very community where Harriet Powers once lived and quilted. Her story reminds us that quilts are more than fabric and thread. They hold memories, preserve stories, and connect generations..
Next Friday, we will be back with more EASY free-motion-quilting that YES….you can quilt it yourself!!
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Loved the honoring of Harriet Powers❤️