Stitching Theory: An Artful Inquiry of Black Womanhood

In this essay, we consider the emancipatory potential and power of creativity that has been passed down intergenerationally between Black women. From foremothers to grandmothers, we reflect on the life-giving and life-sustaining power of Black women’s creativity to highlight how their artistry is an inheritance and means of everyday survival. By focusing on the generative and generational potential of found art, we propose stitching theory as an opportunity to enact artful inquiries of Black women’s lived experience and to capture the pedagogical lessons, warnings, and instructions that Black women model as a praxis of freedom.