Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman elected to Congress, and a new film tells her story.
“Shirley” Now streaming on Netflix, it focuses on Chisholm's run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972 and the events surrounding her campaign.
Chisholm was a force in Congress, fights for her constituents while confronting racism and sexism. It also influenced some of today's politicians, a few of whom are featured in the film.
The biopic stars Regina King as Chisholm, and was written and directed by John Ridley.
Has another member of Congress already confronted Chisholm about pay?
In the film, Congressman (Robert Craighead) stops Chisholm in the hallway to tell her he can't believe she gets the same salary as him, and despite the smile on his face, the comment is clearly hostile. Chisholm responds by saying that he can stay away from her if it bothers him so much.
He says Chisholm was repeatedly confronted by other members of Congress about pay Author and Professor Glenn L. Starks, Ph.D.which he co-wrote “A Seat at the Table: The Life and Times of Shirley Chisholm” (2024) with F. Eric Brooks, Ph.D
While the character in the film may be an amalgam of several people, there's one Southern congressman in particular, says Starks, who kept pointing out how much money she earned, expressing disbelief that a black woman would be in Congress and earn the same amount. he did. Starks said Chisholm stood up to him and replied, “Yes, I support that.”
Did Chisholm and her sister have a very distant relationship?
Yes, Chisholm's relationship with her sister Muriel (played by Rena King, Regina King's sister in the film), was not very warm. It is said that her relationship with all of her sisters (she had two others in addition to Muriel) was somewhat frosty.
“That's because they thought Shirley was their father's favorite,” Starks says. The money she received from their father may have put additional strain on the relationship.
But when Chisholm died in 2005, Muriel attended her funeral in Florida, even though her other sister did not, Starks says.
Did Chisholm really retreat from the agricultural mission?
Yes, Chisholm did. In the film, Chisholm is told that House Speaker John McCormack (played by Ken Strunk) has assigned her to serve on the House Agriculture Committee. As a Brooklyn representative, she believed the placement was irrelevant to her district and He appealed the appointment.
She was eventually also appointed to the Veterans Affairs Committee, but made some changes while on the Agriculture Committee. It was not featured in the film, but Chisholm played a role in it Establishment of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). and expanding the food stamp program.
What is Chisholm's relationship to Barbara Lee?
The film shows a lot of people who worked with Chisholm during her presidential campaign, and there's one person in particular who speaks at the end of the film: the real one. Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
Chisholm had a significant impact on the life and career of Barbara Lee (played by Christina Jackson), beyond what is shown in the film.
“They first met when Barbara Lee was in college,” Starsk says. “She was a single mother and living on welfare. She had to write an article about politics. She went to visit Shirley Chisholm and told her she didn't like politics and was only writing the newspaper because she had to.” Starks says Chisholm reminded Lee how important politics was, and Lee later worked with Chisholm.
“To this day, the influence is still there,” Starks says. “When Kamala Harris was inaugurated, Barbara Lee came and wore Shirley Chisholm pearls to the inauguration.”
Lee was an influential congresswoman, Starks says, and her entire political career stemmed from meeting and working with Chisholm when she was a college student and a young mother.
Did Chisholm actually visit George Wallace after he was shot?
Yes, Chisholm went to the hospital to visit his political rival, the governor of Alabama. George Wallace when he was shot in 1972 in an assassination attempt. The visit was short, lasting about 15 minutes. Starks says her visit to Wallace, a supporter of segregation and other opposing ideologies, surprised supporters of Chisholm and Wallace himself.
“People were shocked,” Starks says. “Other politicians went there too. I think the only surprise that she went was because she was a black woman.”
Lee was one of the people who questioned Chisholm about her visit to Wallace. “I'm treating him the same way a human being should be treated,” Starks says Chisholm told me.
Did some of Chisholm's allies switch their support to McGovern at the last minute?
Yes. The film's focus on Chisholm's presidential campaign follows her quest for support—and delegates—from members of the Congressional Black Caucus and allies.
“(Walter Fauntroy“She actually gave at the last minute all the promised delegates to (other potential nominee George) McGovern, and that really upset her,” Starks says.
And Chisholm really trusted it Ron DellumsStarks says suddenly losing his support and not receiving his nomination at the convention was a “high betrayal.”
Did Chisholm actually run for president to be a catalyst for change?
At the end of the film, Chisholm says her intention in running for president was to be a catalyst for change and show Americans that their votes matter. And yes, Starks says, that's part of her motivation in politics.
“I'm tired of all the disenfranchised voices that don't have a say in politics,” Starks says. “All her life in Brooklyn, where she ran for the New York Assembly, and her whole life in Congress, she always ran as the underdog who came out and supported women's rights, gay rights, and the poor. She supported people whose voices weren't heard. “I was tired of people getting votes from the community.” Black people, but she never did anything for them. “Since she got involved in politics in college, she has really become her.”
