Workers' Memorial Quilts

Quilts have long been a way for marginalized communities and individuals to declare themselves, to document their lives, to assert their rights and their very existence. These quilts honor garment workers who died in twin workplace disasters that bookended the past century: the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 and the Tazreen fire and Rana Plaza collapse of 2012 and 2013 in Bangladesh. These quilts can be a vibrant tool for education and outreach in many venues. They evoke a range of emotions and can provoke essential dialog and reflection.