Shirley starts with a grim statistic from the American Civil Rights Movement. It reads thus: "In 1968, there were 435 elected representatives to the House of Congress. 11 of those representatives were women. 5 of those representatives were black. None of them were black women." All of this was unsurprising then, as it is in hindsight. American politics has changed much since those times, but it still remains a veritable middle-aged white boys’ club. As the titular character asks, why is it always white men, white men, white men? Politics is the will of all the people. This philosophy of inclusion Shirley Chisholm stood for was beyond gender and race (as important as those entities are in the landscape, political or otherwise). She represented women, she represented her immigrant black community (she regarded herself as a Barbadian American, first), she inspired the youth to take their vote seriously, and she represented the voices of the disenfranchised and the unheard. But most of all, she embodied a powerful ideal—that of doing good by society. After all, she was a school teacher from Brookyln. Who better than a person tasked with shaping young minds to inspire positive change? But here’s the truth about US politics, nay, all politics: idealism, integrity, and philosophy only get you so far. Walking the talk may be one (admirable) thing, but presidential nominations are won on money and influence. The more the power, the greater one’s chances. And, in early 70s America, with the country still coming to terms with its racially fractured past, a spirited black female congresswoman only had so much to wield. It is in the overcoming of those seemingly insurmountable odds by sheer force of conviction that made her struggle a heroic one.

Director: John Ridley  

Cast: Regina King, Lance Reddick, Terrence Howard, Lucas Hedges, Christina Jackson, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Michael Cherrie

Streamer: Netflix

If there’s one thing that stands out in this biopic, it’s the value Shirley places on being a good person, a true Christian, one who has the moral courage to tell the truth, to forgive. She is strong, she is independent, she is opinionated, make no mistake (being black and a woman in a corrupt, male-dominated political system leaves her with little choice, really), but being the bigger person matters to her. And it is with this value system (to practice what you preach) that she hopes to garner support and inspire. There are many interpersonal scenes of this nature that stand out. Once Shirley Chisholm (the first black American woman to be elected to Congress) throws her hat in the ring for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 1972, she is on the road constantly. She returns late one night to see her husband fast asleep. When asked if there’s some warm food to eat, he returns sheepishly in the negative, to which she begins to lose her cool but checks herself midway. Understanding and regard displayed for a supporting husband who remains in the background, ensuring her needs are met without fuss at most times, leaving her be to focus on furthering her ambition. Michael Cherrie’s Conrad Chisholm plays the perfect, understated foil to Regina King’s power-packed lead performance. Shirley meets a spirited young African American woman at a campus who is fed up with the failed system. When she realises that the latter doesn’t believe in voting, she makes it a point to state that protesting without exercising her key constitutional right is just yelling and screaming for no reason. The young lady in question, Barbara Lee (Christina Jackson), eventually works on Shirley’s campaign, going on to become a famous politician and social worker in the years that follow. Much to the dismay of her team, she visits rival, George Wallace, in hospital after his near-fatal shooting. No amount of advice from her mentor Wesley McDonald "Mac" Holder (Lance Reddick) and advisor Arthur Hardwick Jr. (Terrence Howard) makes her budge. “What kind of Christian would I be if I don’t go?” is her response. Her conviction and will are such that despite taking some “politically foolish” decisions (in their estimation), they will back her through and through. In between all the schmoosing, horse-trading, backroom betrayal, and general sexism, these aforementioned scenes typify what the woman really stood for.

Due to its limited runtime (two hours) of a story with much subject matter, the film appears rather rushed. It feels as if the titular character and her entourage move from one crisis to another with no breathing space in between. Had it been a show, the biopic could well have explored Shirley’s teaching background in Brooklyn, the discordant relationship with her family and her early interest in politics. At the very least, there could have been some flashbacks depicted. But all in all, John Ridley’s Shirley nails it in the acting department. Headlined by the brilliant Regina King, the biopic is told in both a sensitive and powerful manner, epitomising Shirley Chisholm’s courageous vision of an inclusive political landscape for all American citizens. Her untiring efforts succeeded in opening doors that were once believed impossible to breach.