Tuesday’s gathering, hosted by Netflix at the Egyptian Theatre, marked a momentous return to the red carpet for Regina King, who was accompanied by her sister: “I’m grateful to be able to do this with my ride-or-die by my side.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had two compelling reasons to attend Tuesday night’s Netflix premiere of John Ridley‘s “Shirley,” starring Regina King as the trailblazing politico Shirley Chisholm.
“Shirley Chisholm is a woman who impacted me and influenced me when I was a child. She gave me the courage, the stamina, and the fortitude,” Bass shared with The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet outside the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. “But I’m also here because my friend, Representative Barbara Lee, is a character in the movie and I want to see young Barbara Lee.”
Lee, portrayed in the film by actress Christina Jackson, was also present at the event. Congresswoman Lee has represented California’s 12th District (previously the 13th) since 1998 and holds the distinction of being the highest-ranking African American woman appointed to Democratic leadership, serving as co-chair of the Policy and Steering Committee, according to her official bio.
Bass, herself a veteran of Congress, expressed her hope that the film, which primarily focuses on Chisholm’s historic presidential bid in 1972, would serve as an inspiration for “young women who might not have realized that the first African American woman who served in Congress also ran for president.”
“I served 12 years in Congress, and her picture is there. I was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and she was the first woman in the Congressional Black Caucus. So all who served there know her; she’s in our DNA.” Bass, who never had the opportunity to meet Chisholm, emphasized the significant impact Chisholm had on breaking barriers in gender and race within Congress.
“She had to deal with gender and race in a major way, and she had to deal with gender issues in the Congressional Black Caucus as the first woman. There were men who were pretty resistant to her, her leadership, and her boldness in saying that she wanted to run for president. You can only imagine any woman who was talking about running for president would’ve been controversial, but the first Black woman in Congress talking about that? You can only imagine.”
Ridley’s film, which also features Lucas Hedges, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Michael Cherrie, W. Earl Brown, Brad James, and King’s sister and producing partner Reina King, is set to premiere on the streaming platform this Friday. Its release during an election year prompted discussion on Tuesday night.
“It’s perfect that it comes out now because I’m hoping it will inspire people,” Bass remarked. As the first woman and second African American to be elected as Los Angeles mayor and the first African American woman to lead a state legislative body during her tenure in the state assembly, Bass emphasized the significance of the film’s message during such pivotal times. “It will get people focused. It will get people to understand the significance of a trailblazer like Shirley Chisholm and how important our election is this year. This is life and death.”
