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Abstract

In the American silent movie era, women were not associated with the ability to perform stunt work, drive an automobile without a man present, or be much more than a supporting face in a film, despite the fact that there were more female film writers, directors and producers than male in that era, the importance of “automotive citizenship,” and the added difficulty of women’s stunt work (women performed high risk stunts like jumping from buildings, etc., but they had to do it in gowns, and bikinis); today, women and minorities are highly under-represented in boardrooms, director’s chairs, and a startling number of fields across the country, impacting everything from human rights, to mental health, to the percentage of a dollar earned. Community programs that demonstrate anyone is capable of achieving their goals in the fields of their choice are imperative. For two semesters, I worked with multiple community and national partners (the LaPorte County Historical Society (IN), the Barker Mansion (IN), the Henry Ford Museum (MI), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (CA), and more), to learn about the need for representation, research the life of silent movie actress Anita King, uncover artifacts connected to her, bring her to life in a new museum exhibit in LaPorte County Indiana (her hometown), and create community programming. In addition to the museum exhibit that was created, a historical monument was placed, a traveling exhibit was started, original Anita King silent films were restored, and public learning activities were initiated (e.g., grade school viewings of the restored films, public reflections, community celebrations). From these experiences, and the resulting reflection, I learned about the importance of promoting ideas of competency, independence, and endurance for all people, and continue to carry this through my work as a graduate instructor, volunteer, and organization leader.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317689

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