A Testament to the Horrors of Slavery & the Perseverance of Black Women, Rendered in Needle and Thread
‘Nevertheless, with steady hands we can thread the eye of this needle and ask what Ruth’s record can tell us about Black women, Black families, women crafters, and Black material, as well as social, worlds. By doing so, we refuse to give up on those many people of the past who did not—could not—leave behind troves of documents.’ This piece is excerpted from Tiya’s book All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, A Black Family Keepsake and can be read online at
Jezebel. Published June 14, 2021.