At the end of last semester Professor Juliet Reynolds did a short unit on the roles of quilts, flags, and other textiles in a wide range of social movements in her GNDR 1100 course, Gender and Social Change. Over the course of several weeks, class discussion shifted from focusing on the heaviness of oppression to discuss how resistance shows up in art, a transition that reflected the real-life experiences some of her students were facing. “Some of my students were personally impacted by executive orders this spring and the fear and uncertainty they were feeling prompted me to shift our discussions to how others have impacted social change in a variety of individual and community efforts.”

Enter felt (yes, that fuzzy fabric you remember from elementary school days). Prof. Reynolds brought some crafting materials and asked her students to create personal identity squares that allowed them to express their self-identity and create something that would be a symbol of acceptance to others. “It was an incredible experience to see the students walk in with the weight of the world on their shoulders and watch them physically change and unload the helplessness they have been feeling throughout the semester as they created their squares,” said Reynolds. “They sat in a U shape and faced each other as we talked and created. It was the first time they all interacted with each other with joy and laughter as they shared stories and researched different symbols of identity.”

We have loved having this celebratory display in our lounge the last several weeks. 🥰 💖🌟