Who is Shirley Chisholm? All about the American politician behind Netflix's upcoming biopic

Regina King has teamed up with Netflix to bring forth the inspiring story of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress in a time when this was completely unimaginable. The biopic, titled Shirley, is set to release on Netflix on March 22, 2024, with the first trailer dropping earlier today.

The film will reportedly chronicle the story of the first Black congresswoman, political icon Shirley Chisholm, and her terrific run for President during the 1972 presidential campaign.

In a recent interview with Harpers Bazar, the Oscar-winning actress revealed how important a story it is to recount . She said:

"It was always a little disheartening for Reina and I to have so many people over the years of our lives not know who Shirley Chisholm was....What she did was so pioneering. She was a true maverick and, you know, we use this term all the time, but she was a true first."

Ahead of the film's release in March on Netflix, here is an insight into the inspiring person behind the movie.

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Who is Shirley Chisholm and what did she do?

Shirley Chisholm was an American politician, renowned for being the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress.

Born into an immigrant family on November 30, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York City, she attended Girls' High School in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn from 1939. Prior to that, she also spent a period on their grandmother's farm in the Vauxhall village in Christ Church.

Following her school, she was offered scholarships to Vassar College and Oberlin College, but her family could not afford room-and-board costs for these institutions. She ultimately graduated from Brooklyn College in 1946.

After graduating Chisholm began working as a teacher's aide at the Mt. Calvary Child Care Center in Harlem, and finished her Master of Arts in childhood education from the Teachers College of Columbia University in 1951.

She began her political career with Wesley "Mac" Holder's effort to elect Lewis Flagg Jr. to the bench as the first black judge in Brooklyn in 1953. This group later transformed into Bedford–Stuyvesant Political League (BSPL).

After an extensive career in politics, Shirley became the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. She represented New York's 12th congressional district, a district centered on Bedford–Stuyvesant for seven terms from 1969 to 1983, following which she retired from Congress.

In 1972, Chisholm made further impressions in the pages of history by becoming the first Black candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

During this time of her career, she faced numerous discrimination in the country. She was blocked from participating in televised primary debates during her campaign. Even after she took legal action, she was allowed only one speech.

Her term inspired many and broke multiple boundaries for her community. In 2015, Chisholm was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 10 years after she passed away.

Her entire story will be covered in Netflix's upcoming Shirley.