Project Status- Research & Development completed to date
This project has required a lengthy R&D period in order to research primary historical materials and to unearth this untold story in archives and libraries. This film is based on original scholarship.
2023
- Research of Dalip Singh Saund's personal papers at UC Santa Barbara, CA. I was the first outside scholar to review the unprocessed Saund papers after they were deposited at UCSB in 2022.
- Research of Jackie Cochran Odlum's personal papers at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, KS.
- Collection and logging of 2000 newspaper articles dated 1955-1958 that are about this congressional competition between Saund and Cochran. These are from newspapers local to CA and also from across the United States, demonstrating a national interest in this story in 1956.
- Creation of outline of the story and drafted treatment for the script of the film.
2024
- Ongoing footage and photo research. I am conducting a broad search for government films on Dalip Singh Saund and for a list of radio and television appearances. This has been a laborious but fruitful process because "Saund" is not in the metadata in these historical materials. I have found some amazing never-before-seen materials for the film.
Community Outreach & Education Status - presentations on Saund completed to date
I have been visiting Gurdwaras and other organizations to present the story of how Dalip Singh Saund won his election in 1956 and to raise awareness of how his story is an important part of the story of America. When possible, I set up educational posters.
- Gurdwaras:
- Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Oak Creek, WI - 2024
- Sikh Religious Society, Palatine, IL - 2023
- Gurdwara Sahib Stockton, Stockton, CA - 2022
- Sikh Foundation of Virginia, Burke, VA - 2022
- The Sikh Center of Orange County, Santa Ana, CA - 2022
- Khalsa Care Foundation, Pacoima, CA - 2022
- Hollywood Sikh Gurdwara, Los Angeles, CA - 2022
- Organizations
- USAID- 1 hr presentation & discussion at the US Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C. - September 2024
- Sher-E-Punjab Sports Club Midwest Chicago - September 2024
- FROOMIRA, Peoria, IL - August 2024
- Rangla Punjab, Chicago, IL - March 2023
- Indiaspora Forum, San Jose - October 2022
- Zoom Presentation - in August 2022, I made a zoom presentation of the story to launch this film project. 110 people across 17 states and Canada attended.
