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Now that a Black woman made her way to the White House, it’s beyond time that the first Black woman who sought to become the U.S. president be honored for her role in breaking the glass ceiling. Amazon initially planned to cast Viola Davis as the legendary Chisholm in The Fighting Shirley Chisholm. However, the film has gone under major reconstruction, with Danai Gurira now being tapped to play the role.
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 will not be a biopic, but instead, it will focus on her bid for the presidency.
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,” per Variety. 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.”
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.
Earlier this year, actress Uzo Aduba won an Emmy for her portrayal of Chisholm in the FX miniseries Mrs. America. Needless to say, her performance was stellar. And, because one movie isn’t enough to tell the story of this icon, we can’t wait to see what our Wakanda friend Danai brings to the role.
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