Dated 1987
Made in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Robert and Helen Cargo Collection of African-American Quilts 2000.004.0146

Going Home is a story quilt about choosing to do the right thing. When asked about the meaning of this quilt, the artist Yvonne Wells explains, “Lots of times when kids or other people group together they get into stuff that they shouldn’t. Now, all four of these birds were all flying in one direction and one turned, because the other three were not doing right. So he decided to turn and go back home.”

Sometimes Wells’s message in a quilt is meant to teach. She explains:

“The teachable moment is that you don’t have to follow the crowd always. When things are going wrong, use your own mind, turn around, and do the right thing.”