The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center presents the highly acclaimed exhibition created by the Museum for African Art in New York called ''Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art.'' Dina Bailey, Curatorial Fellow for the Freedom Center talks with Kathryne Gardette about the exhibition.

''Grass Roots'', which runs through April 20, uses the humble but beautifully-crafted coiled basket as a prism through which audiences will learn about the creativity and artistry characteristic of Africans brought to America as slaves and their ancestors today. More than 200 objects are featured, including baskets from the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia, and from diverse regions of Africa. Paintings from the early 20th century, archival and contemporary photographs, and interpretive texts, show visitors how the coiled basket is a repository of history as well as an aesthetic object of beauty.

For more information about the exhibit visit the Freedom Center's website.