Because they did steal the designs. They gave the quilters a pittance and made a fortune off of it without giving them a share. I would have considered that theft if it were my designs.
From the article:
The Target designs were “inspired by” five Gee’s Bend quilters who reaped limited financial benefits from the collection’s success. They received a flat rate for their contributions rather than pay proportionate to Target’s sales. A spokesperson for Target wouldn’t share sales numbers from the collection but confirmed that it indeed sold out in many stores.
Furthermore:
Unlike the pay structure of the Freedom Quilting Bee of the 1960s — an artist-run collective that disbursed payment equitably to Gee’s Bend quilters, who were salaried and could set up Social Security benefits — one-off partnerships with companies like Target benefit only a small number of people, in this case five women from two families.
And why did those quilters accept that fee? Because they were living in poverty.
After all, the average annual income in Boykin, Alabama, is still far below the poverty rate at about $12,000, according to the nonprofit Nest.
They took advantage of poor people by offering them a lump sum and then reaped the benefits exponentially more.
And to rub salt in the wounds:
While thumbnail-size photos of the makers appeared on some marketing materials and the text “Gee’s Bend” was printed on clothing tags, the company’s engagement with the quilters was limited. As soon as Black History Month ended, the quilters’ names and images were scrubbed from the retailer’s site.
They didn’t even give these people recognition after one month. Despite this being a very important part of their local culture, which went back to when they were slaves.
The whole thing stinks and you should not be defending it.