Clara Watson

Clara Watson (1923-2014) was born in Gee’s Bend, Alabama and played an important role in nurturing the community’s next generation. She was the Mother of Lillie B. Witherspoon Jackson (b. 1952) and Aunt to Estelle Witherspoon (1916-1998), who founded and served as the longtime Director of the Freedom Quilting Bee. 

Notably, Clara, her sister and 11 year old daughter marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., alongside fellow Gee's Bend Quilters from Selma to Montgomery, where she witnessed the tragic violence of Bloody Sunday. Clara’s descendants continue quilting in the Gee's Bend tradition to this day.

Click Here  for available work by Clara Watson