Danai Gurira has been tapped to star in The Fighting Shirley Chisholm, a feature film chronicling Chisholm’s historic 1972 run for the U.S.
Gurira, who starred in Marvel’s Black Panther, walked away from popular television series The Walking Dead after more than a decade.
According to Variety, the movie is not a biopic, instead focused more centrally on the campaign and 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.”
Chisholm made history when she became the first African-American Congresswoman in 1968. She garnered national attention with her bold views on race, gender, and outspoken personality.
“I am the people’s politician,” Chisholm once told the New York Times. “If the day should ever come when the people can’t save me, I’ll know I’m finished. That’s when I’ll go back to being a professional educator.”
Uzo Aduba portrayed Chisholm in FX’s Mrs. America and nabbed the Supporting Actress Emmy for her performance.
“I want to say lastly, thank you to Shirley Chisholm for her championship work for all people who have been forgotten and marginalized, who she represented,” Aduba said while accepting her award. “The truth of the matter is I had the unique opportunity to play a woman who made it her life’s work to speak, represent and hold space for those people who are often forgotten or left out of the conversation, and it became very important for me to not close the space who are often left behind or forgotten.”
