Fannie Pearl Etheridge

Ms. Fannie “Pearl” Etheridge is a community scholar and quilter dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Freedom Quilting Bee and the heritage quilting traditions of Black Belt Alabama. She has lived in Alberta, Alabama—the birthplace of the Bee—for more than 57 years and has been sewing for over four decades. She began quilting as a young girl while helping her aunt and later deepened her practice after joining the Bee in 1996.

Under the guidance of heritage quilters Ms. Mensie Pettway and Ms. Mary Spencer, she learned Grandmother’s Dream, and she learned the Pine Burr pattern from Ms. Lucy Mingo. Ms. Pearl also learned traditional patterns including Flying Geese, Bear Paw, Log Cabin, Trip Around the World, Coat of Many Colors, and Jacob’s Ladder.

Ms. Pearl served as manager of the Freedom Quilting Bee from 2006 to 2010 and has continued supporting community development and traditional arts education through quilting, hand stitching, and indigo dyeing workshops. She has been recognized by Congresswoman Terri Sewell for her community economic development work.