Nelson Mandela
Deonna Todd Green
c2000
Remus, Mecosta County, Michigan
Cotton with polyester filling
24 1/2” x 24 1/2”
MSUM 2000:67.3
Photo by Pearl Yee Wong, all rights reserved Michigan State University Museum

The quilt consist of blocks embroidered with images of important figures in African-American history. The four corner blocks are embroidered with an outline map of Africa. The large center block is embroidered with the face of Nelson Mandela. Its embroidery reads, "Nelson Mandela 1918 'And When finally this year He was freed from jail-but still not free to vote in his home-land- he set out to show the world that prison walls can no more kill an ideal than a twig can stop a river.' Susan Watson." To the left are two small blocks with portraits of Soujourner Truth and Frederick Douglass. The Sojourner Truth block reads "Sojourner Truth 1797 1883 Abolitionist- preacher-Teacher." The Frederick Douglass block reads, "Frederick Douglass 1817 1895 Abolitionist-Politician Editor." The two blocks to the right of the large centers feature portraits of Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Harriet Tubman block reads, "Harriet Tubman 1822 1913 'The moses of Her People' ." The MLK blocks reads, "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 1929 1968 'I've Seen the Promised Land'." The two blocks below the large center have "Jesse Jackson" and "Rosa Parks" written on them in pencil.