Faith Ringgold: Art and activism live on

Children’s Defense Fund “Anyone can fly. All you need is somewhere to go that you can’t get to any other way. The next thing you know, you’re flying among the stars.” – Faith Ringgold, Tar Beach When Faith Ringgold passed away on April 12, she left behind an extraordinary legacy as an artist and activist. She was a painter, mixed media sculptor, printmaker and performing artist, and well known for her signature story quilts. The story quilts combine painting, quilt making and storytelling, and extend the legacy of generations of Black women quilters and storytellers, including the ancestors in her own family. Much of that earlier creativity and artistry was never featured in museums or bookstores, but it was part of the heritage they passed down to their children and grandchildren. Ringgold’s story quilts then led directly to her work as a children’s book author and illustrator, where she shared that legacy with new generations. Related Stories Ringgold grew up in Harlem surrounded by Black creativity. Her neighbors were musicians, writers and artists, and her own mother was a dressmaker who became known as the fashion designer Madame Willi Posey. She had severe childhood asthma that led her to be...