First Born

Marla A. Jackson, artist

born 1952

First Born, 1997

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: cotton; beads; plastic; canvas; hand appliqué; hand and machine quilting; wood

Credit line: Gift of Connie and Charles Lawton, son of the artist, and Marché and Mikiah Lawton

Accession number: 2014.0516

Not on display

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One History, Two Versions

“When a mother loses a child, no one wants to talk about it. We are honoring the memory of Emmett Till and his mother.”—Marla Jackson, Lawrence-based artist

Like Mamie Till-Mobley, artist Marla Jackson lost her first-born son. One way parents cope with the indescribable pain of losing a child is to keep their memory alive, which Till-Mobley and Jackson have done through their activism and art.

Narratives of the Soul

This quilt celebrates the artist’s first-born child, Charles. Although the quilt relates to Jackson’s personal story, the work also evokes broader themes and symbols connected to generational legacies and joyful transitions.

Narratives of the Soul