The Untold Story of Women on the Mother Road
Discover how filmmaker Katrina Parks, curriculum developer Kari Kussmann, and museum educator Amparo Leyman Pino are bringing their commitment to examining Route 66 through the lens of diverse people - to uncover stories that challenge gender stereotypes and traditional ideas of the history of the American West.
The Untold Story of Women on the Mother Road
The “Mother Road,” as it was coined by John Steinbeck, has struck a chord with Americans and an ever growing international audience since its inception in 1926.
Its roughly 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles still represent the ultimate American Experience, and almost 100 years later it still beckons the traveler. However, the narrative of the road, as conveyed by popular culture and historical works, has primarily focused on men and often overlooked the experiences of women and girls.
Route 66: The Untold Story of Women on the Mother Road began as a website and oral history project and then became a documentary film series. Its goal is to create a public history record that sheds light on diverse women’s experiences for nearly a century. The time period covered by Route 66’s history from its inception in 1926 to its demise in 1985 and then to its ongoing rebirth represents a march forward for women in the domestic, political, social and economic spheres of their lives. The oral histories identified for this project reflect the diversity of the people who live and work along Route 66 from Chicago to California.
