Regina King is bringing a Black legend to life.
In the first trailer for the Netflix film Shirley, King will portray the first Black woman elected to Congress.
According to People, Chisholm faced many obstacles to secure a historic seat in Congress as the daughter of a Guyanese laborer and a Barbados-born maid.
The trailer also revealed Chisholm’s struggles to navigate a predominantly White male Congress.
The film also showcases the groundbreaking moments in Chisholm’s life, including her “audacious, boundary-breaking 1972 presidential campaign.”
Regina King’s Upcoming Film Could Be Award-Worthy
Regina King stars in and produces the film with sister Reina King.
Other cast members include:
- The late, great Lance Reddick
- Lucas Hedges
- Terrence Howard
- Brian Stokes Mitchell
- Christina Jackson
John Ridley, who executive produced the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave, is writing and directing the film.
Shirley is also a passion project for Regina King.
She developed the film for 15 years with her sister and considers a film based on the story a landmark feat.
“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.”
King also wanted to release the flick in an election year as its release can be more “impactful.”
“As a team, we felt that is probably the best way we could possibly honor Shirley: to release her in a space that she created for herself.”
