My mother Leola Wright, my great-grandmother, my grandmother (Elizabeth Graddick Washington), my aunties (Alma and Rosalee), sisters (Ann and Lorretta), and my daughter, Shaneka. I also have two sons, Joshua and Jarod, and two grandchildren, Travis and Desameon. I first learned how to sew baskets when I was six. Sitting on the floor while my mom worked, I would pick the scraps up off the floor and try to twine the materials together. Then, she would show me how to sew. The first basket I made looked like a bird's nest, but as I continued, I got better, and my mom encouraged me. I wanted to learn so I could help both her and my grandmother. Seeing them work hard to take care of the family, how strong they were as women, made me want to be like them. Sewing baskets is not just an art to me; it's a passion. I love to see what my hands, mind, heart, and soul can create. When I'm sewing, it gives me peace. It's my time to meditate and think about how God created us to do incredible things. I love basket weaving because it reminds me of where I came from. It's an important part of me.

History of the Gullah Weavers:
This heirloom piece is woven in the distinct sweetgrass weaving style of the Gullah community in South Carolina which is rooted in West African craft tradition. This basket weaving tradition dates back to the 1700s and is considered to be the oldest African craft tradition in the United States, but it remains largely invisible within the national craft landscape.

Over the last 10 generations, the Gullah weavers have carried on the craft traditions that were native to their African homelands to create baskets featuring exquisite patterns and intricate weaves, preserving traditional styles such as those once used to winnow rice. They use a combination of locally harvested sweetgrass, pine needles, bulrush, and palmetto to weave their unique pieces. Each weaver prides themselves on being intuitive weavers, each having their own unique and signature weaving styles, meaning no two baskets are ever alike. Their craft tradition is embedded into the cultural and physical landscape of this community which continues to reside in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and the nearby barrier islands.