This program coordinated with the 2024 One State/ One Story All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles sponsored by the Indiana Humanities.

Though often dismissed as “women’s work” and regulated to the realm of handicrafts, the art of quilting holds a prominent place in many cultures. It brings together communities and allows creators to chronicle their struggles and triumphs. Join Dr. Tony Jean Dickerson as she discusses the artistry of African American quilters and the stories they tell in their works. While she will blend her presentation to coordinate with the book, knowledge/reading of the book is not required to attend. 

Dr. Dickerson is the lead faculty for Martin University’s School of Education’s Teacher Preparation Program as of June 2022. Besides teaching, Dr. Dickerson is a nationally recognized quilter and is a member of 8 local and national quilt guilds including the founding president of the Akoma Ntoso Modern Quilt Guild of Central Indiana. As part of this program she will share multiple quilts that she has made.

There will be programs throughout Ripley County that coordinate with this book. Find information about all the programs being offered at https://ripleycountyreads.org/osos/

Ripley County Reads is a partnership between the three public library systems in Ripley County, Indiana (the Batesville Memorial Public Library, Osgood Public Library, and the Tyson Library) and Ripley County Tourism. The goal is to promote literacy, community, and education throughout the County. 

This program has been made possible through a grant from Indiana Humanities in cooperation with the National Endowment for Humanities.