Ra’sheeda Bey

Ra’sheeda is a self-described ‘old timey’ quilt- and doll-maker historian who uses her art to teach her community about the history, culture, folkways, and traditions of their ancestral past, as well as provide knowledge on the inconspicuous roles that these art forms played in the African American experience. Her art reflects 35 years of investigation into the ways that these forms served Americans, from using quilts as a secret code during the Underground Railroad to using dolls to transport medical supplies over enemy lines during the Revolutionary War. She learned quilting and doll-making from her mother, grandmother, and great aunts as a child and has been creating ever since. Her art has taken her to universities, nursing homes, schools, community centers, and churches, instructing hundreds of individuals in diverse intergenerational workshops. She sees her classes as not only offering an opportunity to pass along important art forms, but also to share stories, build connections and strengthen bonds. A staple in her community, Ra’sheeda has been conducting Saturday quilt- and doll-making classes at Imhotep Charter High School for the past ten years. She has created quilts for BEBASHI, one of the nation’s oldest African American HIV/AIDS organizations, as well as the 30th anniversary Story Quilt for ODUNDE, one the largest and most longstanding African American street festivals. Ra’sheeda also created the first African American Heirloom Doll, which is specifically designed to be passed down from generation to generation. She is currently involved the in the creation of a quilt that will be hung at the President’s House in Philadelphia, illuminating the history of the nine enslaved African Americans who were owned by George Washington.