We had two amazing events last week, where we shared a sneak peek of the first short in our series, about aviator Bessie Coleman- the first African American woman pilot, in celebration of National Aviation History Month of November.
At the Lower Eastside Girls Club (LESGC), we screened the UNLADYLIKE2020 trailer, the Bessie Coleman video, as well as a wonderful short made by one of the girls at the Club. We were thrilled to screen for the general public, as well as the girls and staff of the Club in their planetarium, and to have an incredible team of women from Jet Blue there as special guests.
Three pilots - Kim McCommon, Chandra Steiner, and Keiko Piccollela - participated in a panel with series creator Charlotte Mangin, and artist and animator Amelie Chabannes, and shared their stories of persevering to become pilots, despite facing many obstacles as women and women of color in the industry. We were all moved by their experiences, and their words of encouragement for the girls. It was very meaningful to see how relevant Bessie's story is today, and how much her life and achievements have meant to these women pilots.
The girls asked great questions, about aviation and animation, and the Club provided a reception where the conversations continued. We are honored to have collaborated with The Lower Eastside Girls Club and the Jet Blue Foundation on this very special event.
The following night, we screened our trailer and Bessie Coleman video at City College's Documentary Forum for a packed theater of students and community members. After our screening, there was a Q&A with Charlotte Mangin. Many people were interested in where they can see the series in 2020, and what other stories it will tell.
That event also included a screening of the new documentary by Adele Pham, "Nailed It: Women and Vietnamese in the Nail Industry," which told the story of how 20 Vietnamese refugee women sparked the multi-billion dollar nail industry in the United States. It was a perfect pairing for UNLADYLIKE2020 to screen with a modern day story of women overcoming obstacles to make a huge impact on the country- and tied in amazingly with Bessie’s story, as she worked as a manicurist in a barbershop, where she got the idea of becoming a pilot!
Both of these events were made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement / Creative Learning, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Thank you, LMCC! We are so grateful!
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council empowers artists by providing them with networks, resources, and support, to create vibrant, sustainable communities in Lower Manhattan and beyond.