Target faces backlash over alleged unfair pay to Black Quilters

Target is facing heavy criticism after refusing to reveal how much it produced from its successful Black History Month quilt collection. Black quilts inspired the designs of the retailer’s nearly sold-out collection.

The black artists who create Gee’s Bend quilts are descended from enslaved people. They write their history into the artwork found on the quilts, including geometric patterns and kaleidoscopes.

Quikers received a lump sum for products sold at Target retail stores. An assortment of bottle covers, sweaters and blankets Sold Out in lots of locations.

“We’re actually going through a real-time quilt renaissance right now,” says artist and researcher Sharbreon Plummer, in response to “They’re so popularized and Target knew it. It created the biggest buzz when it came out.”

However, after the massive success of the gathering launch, no additional money was given to them. While Target confirmed that most of the items were sold out nationwide, the retailer didn’t reveal the precise amount produced using designs chosen by descendants of slavery.

This compensation agreement is significantly different from the Freedom Quilting Bee agreement. In the Sixties, the artist-run collective paid all quilters equally, creating wages for Gee’s Bends staff in addition to receiving Social Security advantages. Critics of Target’s contract with staff say it “manipulates” even creativity.

“Every step of the finances was problematic,” says Patricia Turner, professor emeritus of African-American studies on the University of California, Los Angeles. “What really worries me is that Target’s internal designer is manipulating the appearance of things to make them more accessible to their audience.”

This is not the primary time the group has allegedly used the craft of quilting. In the Nineteen Nineties, white art collector Bill Arnett commoditized his works, causing many quilters to sue the Arnett family. Target also allegedly downplayed the ethos of quilting by mass-producing quilts in Chinese factories slightly than repurposing the fabric.

Despite the opposition, some quilters consider that making their creations more widely available could help the subsequent generation construct livelihoods from the craft. Target maintains that it handled the disbursements appropriately under each parties’ cooperation.

“We have been working with five quilters from The Quilters of Gee’s Bend on a variety of limited-time-only products,” he said in an emailed statement. “As is typical with limited-time collections at Target, each weaver was paid the discussed and agreed-upon fee for their services. As outlined in our contracts, Target had the right to make final design decisions, but to honor its historic heritage, this process was highly collaborative.”

While the Target partnership has its flaws, quilters still discover a way to grow their audience while staying true to their history.