My quilt provides a space for me to appreciate and acknowledge my ancestors. This hasn’t always been easy for me as a mixed woman. I’ve felt the push and pull between both of my races for most of my life. My quilt tells the stories of my ancestors and of those in my immediate family who have had a large impact on my own story. I’ve used braided acrylic yarn to symbolize my previous struggle with being bi-racial. Braids, in particular, were something I saw my family members and members of my community have but didn’t feel that I could have myself because of my whiteness. It was something that always made me question my validity as a person of color. Using the acrylic yarn speaks to me embracing that my experience and identity is my own. Both sides have felt like planets far away from each other my whole life which has left me questioning where I belong. This work is a space for my ancestors to come together, for what feels like the first time. It’s also a space for me to connect to my family, as a whole, for the first time.