Quakers join the Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project!

~*Historically #abolitionist Quakers join the Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project*~

Mid-Hudson Quakers from the Bulls Head-Oswego, Cornwall, Hudson, New Paltz and Poughkeepsie Friends Meetings are drawing upon their rich history by participating in the Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project organized by the Mid-Hudson Anti-Slavery History Project. The Mid-Hudson #QuakerQuilt will honor the role Quakers played in the abolition of slavery, in New York and, eventually, nationwide. 🪡🧶

Members of the Religious Society of Friends, who are also known as #Quakers, were among the first to oppose the institution of slavery in the United States, becoming a driving force behind abolitionist movements, the Underground Railroad, and anti-slavery legislation. The Quaker Trail in Dutchess County was a covert network guiding courageous freedom seekers to safe houses, sanctuary and support. Quaker homes, barns, and meetinghouses served as vital resting points. The Society was the first organized religious denomination to officially ban slaveholding among its members by 1776.

❤🍁 In a series of hands-on workshops, Mid-Hudson Quakers are learning from experienced quilters how to create one to honor the story of their forebears. The goal is to have their quilt for display ahead of next summer's bicentennial celebration commemorating the 200th anniversary of the legal end of slavery in New York State, a process which began July 4, 1827. The Quaker quilt will be included in the 2027 exhibition currently being planned at Marist University.

The Mid-Hudson Quakers are committed to raising awareness about the Society of Friends (Quakers), including commitments to peace, equality, and radical witness. Visit poughkeepsiequakers.org or mhahp.vassarspaces.net/oh-freedom-quilting-project for more information.

Photo Caption:
Quaker quilters gathered for an Oh Freedom Quilting workshop held at Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie.