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Now that a Black woman has made her way to the White House, it’s beyond time that the first Black woman who sought the position for President of the United States be honored for the role she played in breaking this particular part of the glass ceiling.
According to Variety, the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black congresswoman and the first Black woman to run for president of a major political party in 1972, is coming to the big screen.
The film, titled The Fighting Shirley Chisholm will feature Danai Gurira as the legendary Chisholm.
Pakistani-American director, Cherien Dabis, known for her work on “The L Word,” “Empire,” and “Ramy” will helm the project with a script written by Adam Countee.
Gurira will portray Chisholm but the film is not a biopic. Instead, it will focus on her bid for the presidency.
According to Variety, the film will show ”how the Chisholm Trail was populated by young people who sought social and political change during one of the most turbulent times in American history.” At this point in her political career, Chisholm “recognized that she could make real change by challenging the status quo through her efforts to gain enough delegates to speak for the people at the Democratic Convention.”
The film was originally set to be released through Amazon Studios, starring Viola Davis and produced by her company JuVee Productions.
Uzo Aduba won an Emmy for her portrayal of Chisholm in the FX miniseries “Mrs. America.”