At age 27, Angela Shelton, actress, comedian, and screenwriter (best known for the 1999 film “Tumbleweeds”), set out to create a documentary of American women’s experiences by interviewing women who shared her name. She went on the road in a rented motor home with a small crew to interview Angela Sheltons across the country.
Unexpectedly, she found that 70 percent of the Angela Sheltons she encountered had been victims of rape, childhood sexual assault and/or domestic violence. This surprising journey led Shelton to confront her own abusive past.
Her multi-award-winning documentary, “Searching for Angela Shelton,” started a grassroots movement of survivors and humanitarian organizations around the world who are breaking the silence about the epidemic of abuse. The film led to her book, “Finding Angela Shelton,” which was released this month. She has appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “48 Hours Investigates” and “Larry King Live.”
On April 26, Shelton will present and discuss her award-winning film at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work, at 325 Pittsboro St. The event begins at 5 p.m., followed by a wine and cheese reception and book signing at 7 p.m. The screening is free, but attendees are asked to pre-register at www.nchealthywoman.org or by calling (919) 843-1759.
Carolina’s School of Social Work is one of the nation’s leaders in social work research and education, and is consistently ranked among the top 10 schools of social work in the country.
Shelton photo: http://ssw.unc.edu/News/AngelaShelton.jpg
School of Social Work contact: Michelle Rogers, (919) 962-1532, michrog@email.unc.edu
News Services contact: Patric Lane, (919) 962-8596, patric_lane@unc.edu