Sabrina Lantos
On April 15, a new series premiered on FX and grasped the attention of audiences across the country. Mrs. America tells the story of American politics in the 1970s with a specific focus on the second-wave feminist movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and Phyllis Schlafly’s staunch conservative campaign against it.
Among the show’s featured second-wave feminists is none other than Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress and a notable alumna of Brooklyn College.
A member of the class of 1946, Chisholm graduated from Brooklyn College magna cum laude before receiving her master’s degree from Columbia University in 1952. During her time at Brooklyn College, Chisholm was a member of the Brooklyn chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, as well as the Harriet Tubman Society in which she advocated for the integration of black soldiers during World War II, fought for African American history courses to be offered, and encouraged more black women to get involved in politics.
Her impact on Brooklyn College and CUNY as a whole would continue in 1966 with her efforts to create the SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge) Program. Today, this program continues to provide low-income students with financial aid and counseling across the CUNY system.
Prior to the show’s release, members of the Brooklyn College community took to Twitter to express their excitement.
“An inspiration and a Brooklyn College alumna to boot! Can’t wait to see this show!!” said Anne Byrnes, a journalism professor at Brooklyn College.
“Brooklyn College’s finest! I miss going to Shirley Chisholm day every year,” said @td_ny on Twitter.
Despite her rich history at Brooklyn College, however, Chisholm is most well-known for her historical election to the House of Representatives in 1968, as well as her 1972 campaign for President of the United States.
With Amazon Studios’ film The Fighting Shirley Chisholm still in development, Mrs. America marks the first television portrayal of Chisholm. Played by Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America’s third episode “Shirley” highlights Chisholm’s fight for the Democratic nomination and the challenges she faced from both her allies and enemies along the way.
Mrs. America not only makes clear the constant death threats and racist rhetoric from her critics, but highlights how Chisholm was abandoned by many feminist supporters who did not believe she had the numbers to win.
“You got a few dozen delegates. It’s time to drop out cause you made your point,” said Bella Abzug, the New York Representative played by Margo Martindale.
This was a common sentiment about Chisholm’s campaign, which was seen as “a joke” and motivated by her “ego” alone.
“I didn’t get anywhere in my life waiting on somebody’s permission,” Chisholm responded.
“If you can’t support me, get out of my way.”
Despite this strong message, however, the episode ends with Chisholm suspending her campaign and joining Senator George McGovern on stage to celebrate his nomination.
As the women in the crowd begin to cry and yell “Shirley,” the impact of Chisholm’s campaign becomes even more evident. Chisholm’s candidacy as a woman of color made history and revealed the intersectionality of race and gender issues in the United States.
With only four episodes released so far, Mrs. America has been met with mixed reviews, but Aduba’s portrayal of Chisholm has been venerated as one of the show’s highlights.
“Uzo Aduba as Rep. Shirley Chisholm in #MrsAmerica is really making my quarantine bearable,” joked @winger_brian on Twitter.
“Watching Mrs. America on Hulu- @UzoAduba as Shirley Chisholm is absolutely the best part of this thing,” said Jo Beth Griffin.
For other viewers, however, their praise of the show was less about Aduba’s portrayal and more about the parallel between Chisholm’s campaign and today’s politics.
“Watching this Mrs. America ep [sic] about Shirley Chisholm running for president to start a revolution, but the DNC and white feminists stop her at every turn. This sounds oddly…familiar,” said Catherine Henderson on Twitter.
“The Shirley Chisholm episode of #MrsAmerica will have you awake at night. So many uncomfortable parallels to this presidential campaign season,” added Brandon David Wilson.
As viewers from across the country continue to react to Mrs. America, Chisholm’s legacy lives on in Aduba’s portrayal. A legacy that began at Brooklyn College over 70 years ago.