Nashville Gardening History: Mrs. Hazel Suggs Burley

On October 3, 2025, we will be celebrating a truly remarkable milestone-the 105th birthday of Hazel Suggs Burley, a pivotal figure in the Nashville community and a charter member of the Ardent Gardeners Club. As a fellow gardening enthusiast, I have had the privilege and honor to spend time with Mrs. Burley this summer. Her birthday will be a momentous occasion that we are all eagerly looking forward to, as we celebrate the life and legacy of this extraordinary woman. 

 

I spent the 4th of July learning Nashville gardening history from Mrs. Burley who created the history.

It was evident from the meticulous floral arrangement demonstrations in the pictures that Mrs. Burley and her club members had managed to make gardening the center of their volunteer service in the community. These trailblazing women, much like squares for quilts, stitched gardening and serving others together. Their collective efforts are representative of giving back, much like the quilts in many African American homes, which are sewn by hand for warmth but are also beautiful works of art that tell the history of families, neighbors, communities, and our nation.

  

Mrs. Burley sharing photos and a program about floral arrangements from Idaho University, 1969.

 When I shared my photos of the Hostas being replanted in other areas of the garden and drawings of the placements of the plants that were to be donated and planted in the Doris Campbell Busby Memorial Garden, Mrs. Burley's eyes lit up with joy. Her enthusiasm for the project brought a sense of hope and optimism to those of us who were volunteering in the garden.

 

 S. L. Lampkin IV, MD Assistant Professor of Family & Community Medicine volunteered with MGs.

In May, the Master Gardeners met with the hospital staff to discuss potential events for a soft reopening of the garden. As I pulled weeds from a flowerbed, I remarked, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to bring Mrs. Burley here to see the progress we’ve made?” Then I thought of an even better idea: “What if we brought her here on her 105th birthday?” We were eager for Mrs. Burley, as a charter member of the Ardent Gardeners, to see that her legacy in serving others through gardening, which included the establishment of the Doris Campbell Busby Memorial Garden, would be continued by Master Gardeners and devoted volunteers.

Mrs. Burley was the eldest of four children. She was born in the ‘twenties to Joseph Edward Suggs and Mable Hemphill. Her father, a veteran of World War I and a survivor of the Normandy Invasion, was a football coach at Tennessee State University. Her mother was also a graduate of TSU. They often traveled to Robertson County to teach the community how to can and preserve farm produce. 

Mrs. Hazel Burley's father, Coach Joseph Edward Suggs with 1925 Tennessee Gridiron State Champions.

  

Mrs.Hazel Burley's mother announcing her run for  21st District Runoff in 11/23/1962 The Tennessean. 

The two founded a mom-and-pop grocery store, which they used to encourage people to participate in the voting process. Mrs. Burley's mother, Mable Hemphill Suggs, was deeply involved in the community. She even ran for an elected office during a time when few African Americans held local or state offices in Tennessee. Mrs. Burley's mother's family included the relatives who founded Hemphill Press in 1886 in Nashville, TN. The printing company was in the family for 112 years. 

Mrs.  Hazel Suggs Burley  was on the honor roll at TSU in 1940.

A history of entrepreneurial lineage that stressed education, Mrs. Burley was a graduate of the last class to attend school at the old Pearl High School building on 16th Street in Nashville. She attended TSU like her mother and father before her and graduated cum laude with a major in English. She was a member of the Alpha Kappa Mu honor society and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. 

 Howard Burley's College Graduation Program for Howard University in 1943.

While at TSU, she met Howard L. Burley, Sr. He had received a scholarship to study at Howard University School of Pharmacy in Washington, D.C., which he accepted. After a year’s separation, Hazel and Howard married and moved to the nation’s capital, where she worked at the Bureau of Engraving while her husband attended school and worked as a guard in a medical museum.  

 The Tennessean's featured interview with Dr. Burley, Sr., a Community Icon 5-20-2002.

 After working at a few pharmacies in D.C., the couple moved back to Nashville, where Dr. Burley, Sr. opened Consumer’s Drug Store on Main Street in East Nashville. No strangers to families being proprietors, the Burleys worked and served the community for 60 years. Many East Nashvillians have fond memories of getting prescriptions filled by Dr. Burley and getting a scoop of ice cream while waiting. The Burleys' unwavering commitment to serving the community for six decades is a testament to their dedication and a source of inspiration for us all. The Burleys were married for 71 years until he passed in 2012 at the age of ninety-five. 

 

Family photos and artwork by her daughter  Viola Burley Leak.

The Burleys had exceptional children: Viola Burley Leak, an educator and renowned visual artist, and Howard L. Burley Jr., M.D. Dr. Burley and his wife, Dr. Rhonda Cunningham-Burley, made them the proud grandparents of Raina and Rachel Burley. 

Hazel Burley attending The Annual Torch Awards Banquet, a fundraiser for TSU.  

Throughout her life, Mrs. Burley has shown a deep commitment to her home, family, and community. Her active participation in clubs for mothers and child development, and her unwavering devotion to her church, Gordon Memorial, serve as a shining example of selflessness. However, it is her involvement in the Ardent Gardener’s Club, a club she helped to charter and was dedicated to promoting gardening and community service, which has been one of the shining highlights of her volunteer career, inspiring us all by her dedication to service. 

 Mrs.Burley's home was always a gathering place for the community.Notice of Garden Club Meeting, 1989 Tennessean.

Her selflessness to serving her community are a testament to her character and a source of inspiration for us all. Mrs. Burley attributes her long life to the unwavering support from her family, friends, church, and the community. She acknowledges that good genes play a part, given that her mother lived to be 106 years old and her father to ninety-five. 

The Ardent Gardeners’ fortieth-anniversary luncheon at Cheekwood on April 7, 1991 (front row left to right): Lillian Thomas, Mattie Johnson, Delores Crump, Ruth Grant, Isabel Watkins, Gretchen Payne, Carrie Denney, Alberta Bontemps, Elise Frazier, Blanche Ennix, Willie Mae Martin, Mattie Flowers (back row left to right): Zenobia Beck, Eugenia McGinnis, Rachel Lindsay, Kathleen Lawrence, Tyree Miller, Corinne Schuster, Alice Archer, Hazel Burley, Dora McClellan, Helena Perry, Jayme Williams, Patsy Petway. Ardent Gardeners Association Records, 1951-1998, Box 3, Folder 7.

 Mrs.W.H. Grant, Mrs. Neal Alphin,Mrs. Hazel Burley were planting fields of Tulips at a vocational home  for girls in the early 1950's. Cheekwood be its annual 'Cheekwood in Bloom' in 2013. 

However, she emphasizes that the strong bonds she has formed with her community have been a significant factor in her longevity and happiness. This underscores the importance of community in our lives and its profound impact on our well-being, making us all feel connected and valued. 

For her Centenarian birthday, the Nashville community celebrated with a socially distanced parade! Cars rolled by with well-wishers who were delighted to know she was healthy and safe during the pandemic. At that time, her daughter Viola shared, "She has good health practices and subscribes to and reads many journals. She believes in the importance of all lives mattering, and she achieves this through her persistence, education, family unity, financial planning, and networking. Her commitment to her health and well-being is truly inspiring.”

 Knowing she was a member of Delta Sigma Theta, this red scarf was perfect for the occasion. 

Before my visit ended, I shared gifts from my garden club meeting, which was held in March, where friends and Master Gardeners were in attendance. I knew from my grandmother's garden club meetings that the hostess gave small gifts to thank guests. I remembered my upbringing and brought along a few items that I thought she would like. The big smile from early that day doubled in size as she opened gift bags. I was a complete waterfall of tears at that moment, seeing her joy.

We reached for each other to give hugs. I held her tightly, knowing that she needed her rest. As I gathered my notepad and a recorder, Morganne Norrwood, a freelance photographer who accompanied me, was wiping tears from her eyes as I fumbled looking for a tissue for both of us. "You should have prepared," she said with a small laugh, as we walked outside.

View of Tennessee State University from Mrs. Burley's window.

Once outside, we hugged each other for a few seconds. We both knew we had captured history. Glorious history. No words were needed as we both savored the silence between us.

Photos credits: 

Mrs. Hazel Burley and Genma Holmes :Morganne Norwood for Bliss Media Group. 

Genma Holmes

The Burley Family

Tennessean Archives 

Tennessee State Library and Archives 

The Original Harlem Globetrotters Kick off March Madness on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Whether you are a sports fan or not, the arrival of March means spring is near and basketball binging will begin. Watching March Madness events surrounding the single-elimination Division I college basketball tournaments performed each spring are a rite a of passage for many. The main tournaments involved are the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship and the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship. Nashville, Tennessee is the host city for 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four.

During the month of March, Living Your Best Life will go behind the scenes to hear from several who worked tirelessly to bring the NCAA 2014 Final Four tournament to Nashville, women who are trailblazers in sports, the origin of Title IX and those who have played collegiate and professional basketball.

On Saturday, March 8, 2013 tune in to hear from Mark Johnson, the son of  Andy Johnson, an original Harlem Globetrotter and NBA player. Hear him share how his father and the Original Globetrotters, were U.S. Ambassadors who traveled the world promoting American pride and patriotism. Hear him tell how their lives as Ambassadors contrasted drastically with their lives in the U.S. where segregation and discrimination were the laws of the land, off the courts, and in the locker rooms.

Joining Mark Johnson will members of the Original Harlem Globetrotters team, Carl Green and Bob Showboat, who will share their HIStory as they give us a glimpse into the world of sports from the past and the similarities found in the business of sports today.

This show will give you a piece of American History that is often left out of history.

 Tune into 760AM in the Middle Tennessee Region, on Tune In, on streaming live online at UStream.TV, and on military bases on Saturdays from 9:00-10:00am CST.

More About the The Andy Johnson Harlem Globetrotter-NBA Story

 The Andy Johnson Story is filled with extraordinary tales from behind the scenes of the early Original Harlem Globetrotters.  It is loaded with a wealth of historical information never disclosed regarding the slow, quota-based inception of African American athletes in the NBA. This book clarifies the role of the Original Harlem Globetrotters which made the NBA the multi-billion dollar organization it is today.

It is also a fascinating and inspirational story that weaves the heart-wrenching account of a young boy who became a man through the lessons of basketball. He grew up watching his family working in the cotton fields of Louisiana to playing basketball in the streets of Hollywood in his bare feet. His education was under-valued in high school.  He was considered a basketball star only. By the time a major university recruited him, his hopes for a decent education were lost, as well as the opportunity to receive a college degree. Special interest individuals and corporations saw this as an opportunity to put him in the “professional basketball auction block” where he had no ability to negotiate his contract, pay, or where he would play. These unfortunate events occurred three times in his professional career. However, Andy Johnson turned every devastating event into an opportunity by staying positive in the game of life.

Genma Holmes Shares Highlights from Fort Campbell's Black History Program

It was an honor to be the keynote speaker at Fort Campbell's Black History Month Program. The room was packed with not only men and women in uniform but there was a large number of veterans and many members from the Clarksville Area community.

I was met at the door by a number of soldiers who expressed their thanks for keeping their family and the life of an enlisted member in the public eye through my broadcasts on Living Your Best Life Radio. Not only was I surprised by their heartfelt words but deeply humbled.

I heard the wonderful sounds of the Fort Campbell Band before I saw them! The lively music set the tone that we were assembled to celebrate the accomplishments of Americans whose contributions help make our country great. We were there to shine the spotlight on well known as well as unsung heroes, like my grandparents, who gave their all for the betterment of mankind.

We were warmly welcomed by the staff of Fort Campbell's EEO and EO office. After a beautiful opening prayer, we watched a brief film that was made by the US Army in 1944.  The film recognized the many contributions of African Americans prior to the film's debut. To see the Army, which at the time was dealing with the executive order to desegregate, produced a film that not only profiled the many pioneers from the African American community but also showed Army's appreciation of the "Negro Solider" was truly inspiring. The film was truly ahead of its time and one I highly recommend everyone to watch.

I was introduced by my dear friend, Dr. Gregory P. Stallwork, who I met several years ago in Leadership Middle TN. The introduction made me feel as if  I had won an Oscar and had me choked up before I even said one word.

I shared with the packed room at Commons Park about my life growing up in rural Mississippi and not seeing the division that I see today in our country. I remember two kinds of people: "poor and po". The economic plights of the poorest county in the country, Jefferson County, united Blacks and Whites, Jews and Gentiles, Catholics and Protestants. Working together for the greater good of all was the mantra of my grandfather's politics that still influences me today.

My only views of the world growing up were the ones my grandparents and parents showed me. They showed me that everyone mattered and that we all have something in common if we take time to get to know our neighbors and fellowman. Of course, as a child you really do not understand what is being taught to you but the foundation that was given to me by my family was paved with Godly intentions and that took root in my life. It is my guiding source today that allow me to lead from behind and to not rush to judge others, what I may not know, or understand.

Sharing pest control stories usually gets me a few laughs and this day was no different. I shared with the audience who were beginning to feel like family half way through my talk that being in the pest control industry was not an easy endeavor. But I have no regrets. I have learned more about people by being in industry that is not glamorous or sought after but is very much needed. My customers are friends who have been with us through the good, bad, and ugly. The Holmes Pest Control has allowed my family to raise our kids, has funded several other ventures and gives me an opportunity to give back to many worthwhile endeavors.

I also shared how much I enjoyed working in the media representing clients as well writing and allowing Living Your Best Life to bring to the airwaves stories like the Montford Point Marines and men like USMC Vietnam Veteran Bert Watkins who received a Purple Heart for his heroism in the Battle of Operation Swift.

I challenged the audience to take a moment to spend time with someone who do not look like them. I asked them to deposit a few words of kindness in that person's life and find a way to make our world a better place. The service of the men and women in uniform unites our country not to divide it. We can show our appreciation for the many firsts made by Americans by being a united country. Instead of focusing on what divides us, let us become more determined to find common ground. I ended sharing about my son, Lance Corporal Roger Cornelius Holmes, II, who became a Marines was a hard pill to swallow at first but because of him, I too. serve my country, proudly, as the mother of one of "The Few, The Proud, The Marines."

 For more photos of my wonderful day at Fort Campbell click here.

Photo credits: Otis Toussaint

President of Paul Quinn College on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

 Update: Audio of show can be found here.

Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes as we profile organizations and leaders who lead by example. With extraordinary acts of kindness and charitable giving that help countless lives daily, these organizations and leaders embody "Be the change you want to see in the world".

Throughout 2013 listeners will hear from presidents of organizations who are global change agents. We will also hear from CEOs of social enterprise businesses who are changing communities and college educators who are taking their students out of the classroom and into surrounding neighborhoods to learn and serve others.

Join us on Saturday, February 16, 2013, to hear from 2012  HBCU Male President of the Year,  Michael J. Sorrell. Listen to President Sorrell share his passion for Paul Quinn College and the students of Quinnite Nation. Hear him talk about the numerous challenges he encountered on day one of his tenure at Paul Quinn College and how those challenges did not deter him for setting (and achieving) goals for the school that has inspired his students... and the nation.

Tune in to hear why he believes Paul Quinn College is on the path to becoming one of America's best small colleges. President Sorrell will share about servant leadership and its role in preparing college students for their future now. He will also discuss why he believes Paul Quinn College's Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising will be a "transformative force within our society

We will also hear from Marybeth Gasman who will share her insights on our interview with President Sorrell.

 Living Your Best Life, a radio show that empowers, inspires and motivates one to live their BEST life, can heard on 760 AM in the Middle-Tennessee Region, military bases, and streamed live on U-Stream.TV from 9-10AM CST. This show will also be aired on WTST, a member of the HBCU radio network.

More About President  Michael J. Sorrell

   Michael J. Sorrell is the 34^th President of Paul Quinn College and the reigning “HBCU Male President of the Year”. Under his leadership, Paul Quinn is experiencing one of the greatest turnarounds in the history of higher education. His vision is to transform the school into one of America’s great small colleges by focusing on servant leadership and academic rigor. Among the college’s numerous accomplishments during President Sorrell’s tenure have been: winning the “2011 HBCU of the Year” and the “2012 HBCU Student Government Association of the Year” titled; the demolition of 15 abandoned campus buildings; partnering with PepsiCo to transform the football field into the two acre “WE over Me Farm”; and achieving full accreditation with the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS).

     Michael received his J.D. and M.A. in Public Policy from Duke University.  While in law school, he was one of the founding members of the Journal of Gender Law & Policy and served as the Vice President of the Duke Bar Association.  Michael was a recipient of the Sloan Foundation Graduate Fellowship, which funded his studies at both Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (as a graduate fellow) and Duke University.  He graduated from Oberlin College with a B.A. in Government, served as Secretary-Treasurer of his senior class, was a two-time captain of the men’s varsity basketball team, and graduated as the school’s fifth all-time leading scorer.

     The President recently joined the Alpha Epsilon Boule of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.  He currently serves on the National Finance Committee for Obama for America and on the boards of Amegy Bank, Teach for America, the North Texas Public Broadcasting Company, Inc. and KIPP Truth Academy. He also has been recognized by the Root Online Magazine as a member of the “Root 100” (a list of the top 100 emerging leaders in America) and the Dallas Observer as one of Dallas’ “30 Most Interesting People”.  Among his other recognitions are: the Excellence in Education Distinguished Alumni Award from his high school, St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, Illinois; the A. Kenneth Pye Award for Educational Excellence from Duke University’s School of Law; and the TRACS Leadership Award.  He is a past recipient of the Dallas Urban League’s Torch for Community Leadership and both the President’s and C.B. Bunkley Awards from J.L. Turner for his outstanding contributions to the Dallas legal community.

     President Sorrell is married to the former Natalie Jenkins.  Natalie is an alumna of Spelman College and received her MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.  They have one son, two-year old Michael Augustus.

Wall Street Article featuring Paul Quinn College can be found here.

Other Media Outlets Stories:

Dallas South News

Dallas Morning News

Huffington Post

HBCU Digest

Recent Awards and Recognitions

2011 HBCU of the Year | 2012 HBCU Male President of the Year | 2012 HBCU SGA of the Year | 2012 TADC Distinguished Campus Leader Award

2012 Ebony Top Liberal Arts HBCU List | 2011 Huffington Post Top Ten HBCU Successes List | 2011 HBCU Digest Most Underrated HBCUs List

Photo Credits: Paul Quinn College

Heritage, History, Quilts, and My Grandmother

Where did my summer go? The time flew by quickly but I am basking with the memories that I made with my grandmother over the summer. My initial summer plans were drastically altered after the Frist Center for the Visual Arts opened the Creation Story: Gee’s Bend Quilts and the Art of Thornton Dial. I went to media day with the expectation of seeing another great exhibit by the museum that I love dearly.

I had not expected to experience, at the media preview, the tidal wave of emotions that overcame me when I walked into the exhibit. Seeing the proud work of the women of Gee’s Bend hung throughout the Ingram Gallery, watching Mr. Dial sit quietly with his family, and reading the stories that accompanied the work of Bill Traylor left me in awe and grateful to the organizers of the exhibit. Each piece of art work spoke to my heritage of being raised and influenced by strong willed women in Mississippi who made a way out of no way; who saw beauty when others saw thrash or garbage; and who pushed the importance of reading as if your life depended on it. Many times, it did. By the time I made it through the colorful historical quits, Thornton Dial’s huge pieces, and the drawings of Bill Traylor, my eyes fought and lost the battle with tears. My face was revealing my internal conflict.

My tears flowed freely for people who are hidden away in rural communities all over the South. My tears were for those who created masterpieces with no formal art training, even less education. My tears were for the stories that were being told through art that embraced history and culture with abandonment. All of the art made me proud of being born and raised in the rural South. But there was a special bonding with the quilts that happened instantly. The quilts whispered my name as I stood in front of them admiring the delicate but strong workmanship. At one point, I closed my eyes tightly and visualized my grandmother sitting in her favorite chair stitching fabric together chatting away as she blocked out the world that could be cruel to a group of people tucked away in the middle of nowhere.

The exhibits awaken in me a deep longing to see my grandmother immediately. I called home several times after the media preview discussing the exhibition to my grandmother. I could hear the smile in her voice as I described the quilts to her. My grandmother added to my excitement by sharing about her grandmother who quilted also. My grandmother’s grandmother, named Big Mama, was dearly loved by our family. Her long snowy white braided hair was as famous as she. Big Mama had lived with much notoriety being one of the oldest Mississippian living for several years. She lived to the ripe young age of 109! One of Big Mama's quilts is at the Smithsonian Institute. The story of my grandmother's grandmother and my grandmother's mother history of quilting is written about in the book A Communion of Spirits by Roland L. Freeman.

My grandmother, her mother, Ma Dear; and her grandmother, Big Mama; were known quilters in our small community. My grandmother shared with me how Big Mama taught her to quilt and Ma Dear taught one of my aunts to sew. My grandmother tells me that every time we are together. But each time, I listen as if I heard it for the first time. The more my grandmother talked about her grandmother, the more I prepared for a trip home to visit my grandmother. It was two weeks from the opening of the Frist Center's Creation Story until I laid eyes on my precious grandmother.

When I walked into the nursing home where my grandmother resides, she was sitting with her back to me in the dining hall. I sneaked up behind her and whispered in her ear, “surprised!” She looked up at me and said with conviction, “I knew you were coming home!” Giving her a big hug, I realized that not only are we alike in many ways, but we have a wireless connector that speak the unspoken between the two of us. “I could hear it in your voice,” she said with a smirk. My visit home was timed perfectly to celebrate her birthday.

I spent the next few days tending to my grandmother’s every whim, spoken and unspoken. Nails manicured, new clothes, pearls, and a new do were all on the list of fun things to do with my grandmother. We celebrated her birthday in style. I invited everyone in town to come, and it felt like all they showed up. My grandmother loved the attention and was glowing from the kind words shared by many at her birthday extravaganza.

Over the next few days, we discussed quilting, “po’ people luxury items”, politics, and other colorful topics that keep me writing for years to come. She shared Ma Dear and Big Mama stories as well. Town gossip was not left off the list. We laughed at the unrepeatable and shucked and jive like two hens. My days with my grandmother came to an end much too quickly.

As my attention turned to the long goodbye, my grandmother told me, “Take what is yours back to Nashville.” Yours was a Grandfather clock that my grandmother had promised me throughout my childhood. She had mentioned the clock to me on several occasions over the years but I usually declined stating that I would get it when “that” happened. Thinking about losing my grandmother and gaining a clock was not something I found easy to talk about. The clock was not a material possession for me but a reminder of the precious time spent with my grandparents over the years and the quality of time they invested in their grandchildren, not one, but all of us.

After seeing the Gee's Bend exhibit at the Frist Center, this visit home was different. The Gee Bend’s Quilts reminded me of the importance of cultural heritage and an appreciation of family keepsakes. I called my aunts to discuss the clock going back with me and to my joy all cheered that I was finally taking possession of the clock. As I kissed my grandmother good-bye and hugged her not wanting to let go, I told her I was getting the clock. She smiled brightly and said “Don’t forget to grab you a quilt from the closet.”

As I entered my grandparents’ home on the way out of town, memories of my grandfather and grandmother came flooding back. I sat in my grandfather's chair remembering him and choked back tears at the thought of facing life without my grandmother. My aunts had cleaned and neatly organized my grandmother’s treasures. I walked over and touched the clock. The power of years of patriarchal and matriarchal love permeated me. I went into my grandmother’s bedroom and in the corner were hats that she had worn over the decades in decorative hat boxes with my name on them. Some were hats that I had given her as gifts over the years. Along with my grandmother's hats were my grandfather's fedoras he had worn daily. The boxes of hats left me stunned. I cried as I loaded the items into my truck. The priceless clock was wrapped tightly and secured. The hat boxes and bins covered the entire back cab.

My grandmother words to me before I left the nursing came to mind. I ran back into the house and opened one of her closets filled with clothes and coats. At the top of the crowded space were blankets, quilts, and comforters. I smiled to myself as I thought about my grandmother being a woman of meager means but was known for having “nice things”. I slowly unfolded a quilt from the shelf. Volunteering at the Frist made me instinctively looked around for a pair of white gloves as I handled a masterpiece. What a priceless gift I was given, a much used and very faded quilt from my grandmother.

I was deep in thought as I made my way back to Nashville. I was mentally planning another visit to my grandmother sooner than usual. I wanted to spend as much time listening to her stories and laughing about the unrepeatable. My truck was loaded with treasure rich with family history. I could not wait to get them home to start telling stories and gathering family keepsakes to pass along to my children's children.

The grandfather clock represented precious commodity call time, it's priceless value, and how everyone’s life is measured. The hats showed me how my grandparents were still giving me their best even though one is no longer with me. My grandmother’s quilt gave me a sense of responsibility to document the history and culture of my family and my community.

When I returned home, I saw the Creation Story exhibit again (and again and again). Each time I left the show, I was reminded of the power of God and how he created the women in my life who are unique and wonderfully made. My great-great grandmother, great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and aunts all made a way out of the no way and have given me spoken and unspoken directions all of my life. Like the Gee's Bend Quilts on display at the Frist Center, the women in my family are truly works of art.

The Creation Story: Gee's Bend Quitls and the Art of Thornton Dial and Bill Traylor
Drawings from the Collections of the High Museum of Art and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts

May 24-September 3


For More Info on the Folk Art Exhibit at the Frist Center click here and here.

Photo Credits: Genma Holmes