Lola’s Lament | Created by Jacqueline Dukes from Cleveland, OH.

Lola’s Lament

Created by:

Jacqueline Dukes from Cleveland, OH

Exhibit:

Racism: In the Face of Hate We Resist

Artist Statement:

Lola was the pen name of Ida B. Wells Barnett, whose life this quilt celebrates. Known for her efforts to document lynching across the United States, she was forced to leave Tennessee for Chicago after receiving threats for documenting a friend’s death in a news article.

"Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases," was one of the most noted of Ida B. Wells Barnett’s publications.

As a young teacher in Shelby County, Tennessee, Ms. Wells worked during the week, returning home on weekends to help relatives raising her orphaned siblings. In 1877, as she rode in the train’s ladies’ coach, a conductor tried to force her to relocate to the smoking car, which was occupied by men. She struggled with the conductor and departed at the next stop. She sued the railroad line and won. The railroad company appealed to the state supreme court, which reversed the decision. Wells was required to pay court costs. She fought against tyranny and injustice until her death in 1931.

One of her more famous quotes is, “One had better die fighting against injustice than to die like a dog or a rat in a trap.”

2020
24" x 24"
Cotton fabric and batt, cord, acrylic paint, pieced and photo printed cotton, rope, lace, beads; appliqué, machine quilted.