History in the Making

Baylor research coordinators' quilt tells of African history

When the Women of Color Quilters completed their first quilt, Royal Elegance, two years ago, they found they had created more than just a work of art. They had stitched together a new community of friendship and fellowship within the CNRC.

Cynthia Boutte, Margie Gaines, Andrea Dotting-Jones, Elizabeth Pollard and Betty Walker, together the Women of Color Quilters, created the Royal Elegance quilt in dedication of the children who have died of AIDS.

“We wanted to do a project on African history and came up with the idea of a quilt, even though we were not expert quilters,” said Cynthia Boutte, one of the five women involved in the project. “We researched African crowns and decided to use that as the theme.”

The centerpiece of the quilt is the crown worn by King Akhenaton, a pharaoh of Egypt. The diamond shape surrounding the crown represents the cycle of life. Each point of the diamond is a stage of life: birth, life, death, and rebirth. Queen Nefertari, Queen Nandi, Queen Nefertiti, and King Taharqa wore the four surrounding crowns.

According to Boutte, community response to the quilt was overwhelming. The quilt has been displayed at the USDA research centers in Lubbock and College Station, the Ensemble Theater for Houston Independent School District, and at Fort Bend County Schools.

“We've developed special bonds through quilting, and we've grown into better friends outside the workplace,” said Boutte.

To request permission to display the Royal Elegance quilt, email Cynthia Boutte at cboutte@bcm.tmc.edu