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Rest in Power Otis Grove
www.TheLynchQuiltsProject.com
Greetings Lynch Quilts Project Community:
It is with great sadness and a very, heavy heart that I must share that the grandfather of The Lynch Quilts Project, Otis Gardner Grove, Jr., made his transition to the next life on December 25, 2018.
If you have been apart of this project or keeping up with our progress, then you know that Mr. Otis was my bedrock. There were times I wanted to quit and out of nowhere he would call, a messenger from the universe, and say to keep going. Conversations often went like this," Hi LaShawnda! Come up and show this group or that group the quilt." Or simply, "Come and visit. We miss you." Each visit ended with us grabbing up additional folks and heading out to dinner. We'd then swing by and see Ms. Dorothy (his beloved who passed in Summer 2018), then I'd head back to Indy.
He and Ms. Dorothy would send funds to support the quilt or send me to get a pedicure or grab a burger on them in order "to take care of myself." This is hard work, LaShawnda, he would say. He organized the Chicago quilt community to contribute to the quilts, made new connections to move the work forward and always, always called to make sure I was hanging in there.
To be honest, I question if I would have been able to bring Quilt II, RedRum Summer 1919 and Quilt VI Failed State (TBD) across the finish line without his support and due diligence. He was patient and supportive and always had a tale to tell. Each visit was full of stories about his life in the Jim Crow south, the Korean War, political discussions on race and history or education and community issues. Most importantly, he shared his life's stories. We'd work through the quilts and how to tweak our process. He'd teach me new techniques. And of course, when necessary, he'd get on me like any good "grandfather." He stood by me for 16 years of the roller coaster of doubt and struggle that surrounds you when you work on lynching. He's contributed to EVERY single quilt in The Lynch Quilts Project: Series I.
To say my heart is hurting, is broken . . . is an understatement.
As his health began to fade, we talked extensively about his vision for the construction of Quilt V, The Making Quilt, which was his baby. With nearly 4 pages of directions and notes, in April 2018 he signed off on it. He felt the initial design and construction stage was completed. He loved the weaving together of the dream that inspired this quilt with research, new additions by community members and his vision of how to construct the quilt in order to bring it to life. He was content with where we were headed.
His beloved was ill at that time and as soon as she got out of the hospital, we'd start working in the fall. He said this every time we chatted. And I was honored to wait, because he had always waited on me. He was pleased with the surrogate that agreed to work as the lead quilter and help bring his vision to life. He was sorry, because he wasn't sure if he would be able to help finish this quilt. I told him never to be sorry; he had done a lot and we would make it the way he instructed, as best we can. That without him, LQP would have crashed and burned a long time ago. He laughed and said I would have finished anyway. Maybe. But I am not sure I would have finished with my sanity in tack without his support. He laughed. Thank you Stephanie Robertson for agreeing to wear his shoes for Quilt V, The Making Quilt.
I drove home that night ready to move forward and thrilled with the plan we had in place. In essence, happy that he was happy. The next morning, I was in my car accident. I wasn't able to get back up to visit before his own health issues begin to increase after the passing of his love, Ms. Dorothy.
The last time I was able to see him, I brought him a bag of Garret's Popcorn Chicago Mix (caramel corn with cheese popcorn). I was happy at the delight this small treat could bring him. We went to dinner and he talked and talked about his beloved. He didn't like the food at the restaurant. It had went down in recent years. But this was a place he and his beloved frequented and it reminded him of her. They had attended so much the waitstaff knew him when he walked in and gave seated us at their favorite table.
I was honored to be able to bear witness and hold the stories that he shared. When I said good-bye it was with the understanding that he would be relocating to be near his children within the coming weeks. We agreed for me to move forward and get started with Stephanie Robertson and that I'd come visit with the quilt we started as soon as he was settled. That was August 2018.
If you are in Chicago area, Mr. Otis will be buried on January 3, 2019. With permission from his family I share this link to the website so you can learn more.
Rest in power Mr. Otis.
Warrior of The Lynch Quilts Project.
With love and gratitude . . . forever,
LaShawnda
Otis Grove at the start of LQP in 2003.
Working on Quilt I, Her Name Was Laura Nelson. Chicago Historical Society.
Hanging out with Otis. April 2018.
Needles and Threads Quilters Guild. Fall 2015.
Needles and Threads Quilters Guild. Summer 2010.
Otis Grove with his Trip Around the World quilt.
And checkout that sweet applique pattern he added to his sweatshirt!
Quilt V, The Making Quilt has come center stage to move into maximum overdrive production! What is needed as the sewing begins:
- We need your words, prayers and symbols for power, transformation and healing to incorporate into the stitching of the quilt. Email them to me at info@thelynchquiltsproject.com.
- We are accepting indigo and charcoal fabrics, as well as batiks and printed fabrics in the same vein of coloring. Fabrics can be both dark and light. Click to get a sense of the range of blue and indigo fabric.
- Community members can also participate by embroidering symbols into the fabrics of the stars.
- If you are in the area of the following communities we'll also have opportunities to assist with hand stitching: Chicago, IL, Indianapolis, IN, Louisville, KY, Cincinnati, OH and Columbus, OH.
Quilt VII, The Ties That Bind:
- Donate Fabric: yellows, golds, oranges, reds, blacks and browns.
- Sewing Fabric: Sew fabric strips of yellow and gold for the background. Send me your address via email and I'll send you fabric, or simply cut up and start sewing strips with the fabric strips sizes of your own choosing.
- Brainstorm: Send symbols, words, objects that represent healing and justice to you that will be incorporated into the quilts, as well as the aspects and stories of the complex history between red and black peoples. Think in terms of the Buffalo Soldiers, Trail of Tears, alliances and betrayals between both. (top)
Mock-up of Quilt V: The Making Quilt (c) 2004 - present
Continue to spread the light.
Tess Asplund, with Fist Raised Against the Leadership of The Nordic Resistance Movement (Nrm). (Twitter/David Lagerlöf). Click here to learn more about her simple, but powerful stand against injustice and hate.
RESOURCES TO GET YOU STARTED
As we continue to do our work in the world, here are some additional articles and resources to assist us in having these conversations.
First, I will direct you here to The Lynch Quilts Project website, which has a list of organizational resources to help you get ready.
Second, I direct you to the site #CharlestonSyllabus, which has resulted in a nearly 20 page bibliography of articles, books, research, etc. that explore race in America. In addition, you can click here to purchase the book (Charleston Syllabus: Readings on Race, Racism and Racial Violence), which is a condensed version of the on-line syllabus.
Finally, below are a series of articles that explore these issues that have become more focused on the national spotlight in regards
History
Understanding the past persecution of black Americans is crucial to understanding the racism that pervades the country today.
Artivist Work
Insight, Violence and Resistance
Yeah, we are kinda crazy!
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PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT
Here is where we stand so far with the quilts. We'll be focusing on Quilt V and Quilt VII for the next few months. As well, figuring out which of the other quilts make sense to "officially" get started.
I say official because that is when my focus will shift directly and primarily here. If you are interested in working on any of the quilts just contact me and I can tell you where we are specifically on a particular quilt and how you can participate. Unless the quilt says "complete," there is an opportunity to participate. In the mean time, click here to checkout how to help get things started for the various quilts.
- Quilt I: Her Name was Laura Nelson, Completed May 2004
- Quilt II: RedRum Summer 1919, Completed July 2014
- Quilt III: A Partial Listing, Completed November 2017
- Quilt IV: Failed State (TBD), Completed November 2016
- Quilt V: The Making Quilt, actively in progress, ETA Spring 2019
- Quilt VI: Memoria: In Progress, On-going process, 2010-present
- Quilt VII: The Ties that Bind, actively in progress.
- Quilt VIII: Angels in America / Boyhood in Red, White and Blue, a very sensitive quilt, we are working directly with victims of violence and their families to ensure we are honoring them correctly.
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SPECIAL THANKS
The Lynch Quilts Project is also supported in part by grants from The Indiana Arts Commission, The Puffin Foundation, Creative Renewal Grant from The Arts Council of Indianapolis and of course ALL OF YOU!!!
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Creative Power for Social Change!
Fighting for a racially healed and just future, since 2002.
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