Colorful Underground Railroad Sampler

This piece was designed using the secret code safe houses are said to have sewn into the patterns of quilts to indicate safety or danger to enslaved people traveling the Underground Railroad. According to legend, when hanged outside different quilt squares would send specific messages to the slaves about when to move or stay. Many modern artists such as Tindall continue the art of Underground Railroad quilts to feel a connection to their heritage, and a closeness to the experiences their ancestors underwent. Although the plausibility of Underground Railroad quilts in practice is often questioned, many black artists feel that their significance is not about validity, but rather a cultural belief which transcends fact or fiction.