▁After ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁and ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁sla very ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁African - Amer icans ▁began ▁to ▁develop ▁their ▁own ▁distinct ive ▁style ▁of ▁qu il ting . ▁Har ri et ▁Pow ers , ▁a ▁slave - born ▁African ▁American ▁woman , ▁made ▁two ▁famous ▁story ▁qu il ts . ▁She ▁was ▁just ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁African - American ▁qu il ters ▁who ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁qu il ting . ▁The ▁first ▁nation wide ▁recognition ▁of ▁African - American ▁qu ilt - making ▁came ▁when ▁the ▁Ge e ' s ▁B end ▁qu il ting ▁community ▁was ▁celebrated ▁in ▁an ▁exhibition ▁that ▁opened ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁and ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁many ▁museum s , ▁including ▁the ▁Smith son ian . ▁Ge e ' s ▁B end ▁is ▁a ▁small , ▁isolated ▁community ▁of ▁African - Amer icans ▁in ▁southern ▁Alabama ▁with ▁a ▁qu ilt - making ▁tradition ▁that ▁goes ▁back ▁several ▁gener ations ▁and ▁is ▁character ized ▁by ▁pattern ▁impro vis ation , ▁multiple ▁pattern ing , ▁bright ▁and ▁contrast ing ▁colors , ▁visual ▁motion , ▁and ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁rules . ▁The ▁contributions ▁made ▁by ▁Har ri et ▁Pow ers ▁and ▁other ▁qu il ters ▁of ▁Ge e ' s ▁B end , ▁Alabama ▁have ▁been ▁recognized ▁by ▁the ▁US ▁Post al ▁Service ▁with ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁st amps . ▁The ▁commun al ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁qu il ting ▁process ▁( and ▁how ▁it ▁can ▁bring ▁together ▁women ▁of