Benberry obtained a bachelor's degree in education from Stowe Teachers College (now Harris-Stowe State University).
[2] In the early 1970s Benberry started to write for a small magazine based in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Nimble Needle Treasures, which was unusual in that it published articles as well as patterns.
It was the emotional connection that quilts held in her husband's family that intrigued Benberry to explore the historical significance of quiltmaking in America.
Benberry attributes the increased interest in African-American quiltmaking to three specific events: During her research, Benberry kept detailed notes, files, catalogues, correspondences and many other additional paper documents that are now being sorted and used as reference material for people interested in quilt research.
She immediately discovered that St. Louis was the center for manufacturing stamped goods for needlework, leading her to look into the commercial side of quiltmaking.
In order to gain a quilter's perspective into quiltmaking, Benberry joined various round robin groups (pattern exchanges).
By joining round robin groups, Benberry developed friendships with active quilters and found a network of people also interested in studying quilt history.
In 1986, Benberry went to England to work and study with the Zamani Soweto Council, a group of black South African women.
Upon returning to the United States, Benberry began a lecture circuit featuring the Zamani Soweto Council, bringing attention to the apartheid struggle.
Her books and articles include: Benberry also wrote the foreword to quilt history books such as Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad (1999) by Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond Dobard, A Communion of the Spirit: African-American Quilters, Preservers, and Their Stories (1996) by Roland Freeman, Black Threads: An African American Quilting Sourcebook (2002) by Kyra E. Hicks, and Journey of the Spirit: the Art of Gwendolyn A. Magee (2004), edited by René Paul Barilleaux.