Routed West is the first book to focus on historical African American quilts in California. It explores how quilts moved west during the Second Great Migration (1940–1970), when many African Americans came to California carrying quilts and quilting skills from the South.
The book features over 100 quilts by nearly 90 makers, mostly women connected to the Bay Area, and honors their creativity, resilience, and cultural memory. It also includes essays on the meaning of these quilts and accompanies an exhibition at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
