Hidden Figures: Damita Jane Howard #WomensHERstoryMonth 26/28 (Patreon)

Hidden Figures: Damita Jane Howard #WomensHERstoryMonth 26/28

Damita Jane Howard is a stuntwoman who has worked on everything from Marvel flicks to The Walking Dead. The Compton, California native, who has become a sought after stunt double in Hollywood for Black actresses, was initially planning on become a history teacher after earning degrees in U.S. History and Historic preservation from Florida A&M and Georgia State Universities. While living in Georgia, she began roller-skating as a hobby, joining a roller derby team. In 2008, Howard was skating on a nationally-ranked roller derby team in Atlanta when Drew Barrymore started producing her derby film Whip It! They needed someone to do the skating for rapper/actress Eve, who was playing Rosa Sparks in the film; production contacted the Atlanta league and hired Howard, who worked 12 plus hours of filming every day. Howard stated, “From the very beginning of the six-week filming stint I was hooked on the adrenaline and crazy skills it took to be flung around a track on camera. The moment filming ended I started training to be a stuntwoman.” To date, Howard has doubled Angela Bassett, Danai Guirira, Kiki Palmer, Sharon Leal, Aja Naomi King, Sanaa Lathan, Eve, Tika Sumpter, and more. Since many movies and television shows film in the Atlanta area, she has also worked on such films as the Hunger Games Mockingjay films, Captain America: Civil War, Furious 7, Selma, Zombieland, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy II, and Girls Trip; and has doubled in tv shows like Atlanta, Underground, American Horror Story, Sleepy Hollow, Greenleaf, The Haves and Have Nots, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and a recurring role as Michonne’s stunt double on The Walking Dead. Howard has a reputation as a double that can take a hit (something she says stems from her background in roller derby), and her specialties include martial arts, horseback riding, swimming, and scuba diving. Howard also has a focus on history, due to her background in historical preservation, and has plans to expand into acting and producing in her own films on Black history. ****************** Merchandise! MAKE SURE U GETTA SHIRT!! https://www.teepublic.com/user/sssseren Follow me on social media! Instagram: @sensei_aishitemasu Personal Tumblr: http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com Tumblr for my work: https://sssseren.tumblr.com Snapchat: sssseren GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/tc5wh7q Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seren_sensei ****************** Did you know I wrote a book? ☺️ 'So, About That... A Year of Contemporary Essays on Race and Pop Culture' Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Contemporary-Essays-Culture-ebook/dp/B013V0CHK6 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013V0CHK6 Digital download (e-book): https://gumroad.com/l/IkUa ****************** Links: Damita Jane Howrad: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3180152/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3180152/bio Damita Jane Howard: https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Damita_Jane_Howard 'Meet Damita Jane Howard, Hollywood’s Badass Go-To Stunt Woman For Black Actresses:' http://beyondclassicallybeautiful.com/2016/12/meet-damita-jane-howard-hollywoods-badass-go-stunt-woman-black-actresses/ https://www.facebook.com/afrobellablog/posts/stuntwoman-and-actress-damita-jane-howard-killing-it-as-wonderwoman-complete-wit/10154363109048046/