Suburban Life - Chester/Delco - Issue #5 (May 2025)

zoom_in

SL_Leading Ladies_0525FINAL_Reg2 . qxp_Profile ( Dept . ) 6 / 11 / 25 3 : 04 PM Page 4 ! ! I know a story when I see a story . ” this story had to be told , ” she says . “ He told me his life story . It is truly epic . He was a pio - neer , but never saw himself as a pioneer . ” Lee passed away in April 2025 . “ I was with him about 10 days before he died , ” Lin shares . “ He and I had a nice long talk . I said , ‘ Your mom would be so proud of you . ’ Even as a 90 - year - old man , he was mo - tivated to please his mom . He was such a humble , quiet , happy man . He just moved on and didn’t look back . He gave me a gift . “ In the mosaic of history , this is a piece of the puzzle , ” she continues . “ That’s what it’s all about : telling stories , elevating stories , and helping people . ” Her third and latest film , About Face , cen - ters on diversity in dance as well , this time Jennifer spotlighting two dancers of Asian descent in New York City : Phil Chan and Georgina Lin Pazcoguin . Both dancers , she says , are chal - lenging the ballet world to rid itself of offensive stereotypes and changing how Asians are por - trayed on stage . irst as a newspaper reporter and now of the Philadelphia Orchestra in China , which About Face , which is slated for release as a documentary filmmaker , Jennifer started in 1972 when Richard Nixon secured later this year , is the project’s second name . F Lin has spent her life working to cap - an invitation for his favorite orchestra to visit She changed the initial title after seeing “ a ture the grace and dignity inherent in the hu - the People’s Republic of China . very virulent anti - Asian wave was starting to man experience . She found inspiration for her next project , build ” in 2020 . She spent more than 30 years as a reporter the 30 - minute film Ten Times Better , while “ I think it’s an important film for our time with The Philadelphia Inquirer . She covered researching in the New York Public Library . because it looks at representation in the arts , foreign affairs in Washington , D.C . , served as This 2024 work chronicles the marvelous life and why it matters to see yourself on stage a Wall Street correspondent , and even saw of George Lee , a groundbreaking yet unher - and see yourself accurately and authentically , several postings in China in the late 1990s . alded Broadway dancer , after fleeing China ald not as a caricature , ” she says . “ You can draw In 2015 , she transitioned out of the news - in 1949 to a refugee camp and ultimately land - Her a straight line from how Asians are portrayed paper world to finish a book she’d been ing in New York City . nty in art to violence . This is a good time for a “ working on for a lifetime — literally . ” Shang - “ I saw pictures of George Lee performing Cou story like this . ” hai Faithful : Betrayal and Forgiveness in a the Chinese dance in 1954 for The Nut - cks Though she has told hundreds of stories , Chinese Christian Family , an epic memoir cracker , ” Lin shares . “ At the time , I didn’t Bu e the enthusiasm , interest , and empathy with chronicling five generations of the Lin family know of any prominent Asian male dancers . th r which Lin shares the details of people’s lives going back to the 1800s , debuted in 2017 . As a young dancer , he got rave reviews in the fo ck is astonishing , remarkable , and aspirational . A keen and growing interest in documen - press . You can tell from the photos he was edri She notes similarities and differences among tary storytelling led Lin behind the lens for just extraordinary . I became obsessed with P ra the media she has explored , and credits her her next project . She teamed up with Sam finding him . ” Lau investigative background with this : “ Because Katz , a Philadelphia film producer , to produce A six - week quest led her to a truly remark - by o I was a journalist , I know a story when I see Beethoven in Beijing , which premiered in able man . hot a story . ” 2020 . The film delves into the unique legacy “ The first time I talked to George , I knew P SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM VOLUME 16 ISSUE 7 38 |

view text

zoom_in

SL_Leading Ladies_0525FINAL_Reg2 . qxp_Profile ( Dept . ) 6 / 11 / 25 3 : 04 PM Page 5 ! ! We will all be better if we create a strong community . ” Women and Girls is looking at various laws , as well as county and local ordinances , to sup - port gender pay equity and transparency . The organization also works extensively with high school students . At present , the Vote16 PA ini - tiative , which seeks to allow 16 - and 17 - year - olds to vote in school board elections , is a top priority . She describes a recent event called Advo - cacy in Action Day , which brought together youth organizations and local and state legis - lators , as “ an incredible experience I think for both sides . ” “ We had a group of girls from southern Chester County who have been greatly im - pacted by changes around immigration , ” she says . “ Most of those experiences aren’t making it to state legislative offices for safety reasons , fear ; I think it was helpful for legislators as well as the students present to really have the op - portunity to share those experiences , talk about their concerns , and have those legislators in - teract with them . ” The Fund for Women and Girls was started in 1996 by a group of women with “ incredible forethought , ” according to Brubaker . She’s honored to be part of that near - 30 - year legacy . Brubaker credits her time growing up in a Mennonite community , of which she is no Cheryl longer a part , with her strong commitment to uplifting others for the good of all . Brubaker “ If something happens to someone [ in the community ] , everyone comes out to support them , ” she says . “ Back in the day it was the or Cheryl Brubaker , “ It’s very much Center , and the YMCA of Bucks County , and tradition of the barn raising — if a barn burns about how we can be the best com - she spent seven years as executive director of down , everyone comes out . That community F munities we can be . ” the Women’s Resource Center . still has that value . That’s where it comes from It started with academic successes includ - Today she is executive director of The Fund for me . ing a master’s degree in nonprofit manage - for Women and Girls . The organization serves “ The newer - generation culture values in - ment and an undergraduate degree in social women , girls , and individuals with lived female dividualism , an ‘ I did this myself ’ kind of thing , work , and has evolved into a 25 - plus - year ca - experience including cisgender women and and that almost never happens , ” she contin - reer in everything from organizational man - girls , trans women and girls , and ues . “ Usually someone has had help from agement to direct services . She previously held nonbinary / gender nonconforming adults , somebody along the way . There is a balance leadership roles with Women Against Abuse youth , and children in Chester County . of individualism , but we will all be better if we in Philadelphia , Norristown’s Victim Services Among current initiatives , The Fund for create a strong community . ” SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM VOLUME 16 ISSUE 7 | 39

view text

input

view_module

keyboard_arrow_left

keyboard_arrow_right