Chisholm ’72 – Unbought and Unbossed

Sunday, June 12 at 6pm PT via Zoom

In observation of Juneteenth, Meaningful Movies Offered by the Episcopal Church in Western Washington and the Black/African-American Ethnic Ministries Circle of Color are proud to present an online screening of Chisholm ’72 – Unbought and Unbossed. A panel/community conversation featuring Bishop Edward Donalson III, DMin. and Ret. Senator Rosa Franklin will follow the screening.

Recalling a watershed event in US politics, this compelling documentary takes an in-depth look at the 1972 presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress and the first to seek nomination for the highest office in the land.

Following Chisholm from her own announcement of her candidacy through her historic speech in Miami at the Democratic National Convention, the story is a fight for inclusion. Shunned by the political establishment and the media, this longtime champion of marginalized Americans asked for support from people of color, women, gays, and young people newly empowered to vote at the age of 18. Chisholm’s bid for an equal place on the presidential dais generated strong, even racist opposition. Yet her challenge to the status quo and her message about exercising the right to vote struck many as progressive and positive. Period footage and music, interviews with supporters, opponents, observers, and Chisholm’s own commentary all illuminate her groundbreaking initiative, as well as political and social currents still very much alive today.

A film by Shola Lynch

Running time: 77 minutes

Our Panel:

Bishop Edward Donalson III, DMin is the Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at The School of Theology and Ministry of Seattle University. His latest book offering is The #BlackLivesMatter Movement: Toward an Intersectional Theology. Dean of The College of Affirming Bishops and Faith Leaders, Dr. Donalson serves on the boards of Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and Interconnected Justice. As faculty fellow for the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement all of his work is rooted in liberation for all.
In 1990, Senator Rosa Franklin was elected to the Washington State Legislature representing the 19th district and won re-election in 1992. She was appointed to fill the vacancy in the Senate before the January 1993 session. She won both the special election to retain this seat followed by the scheduled election. After twenty years in the state legislature, she retired in 2010 after becoming the first African American woman to serve in the Washington State Senate. Sponsoring and passing major legislation and serving on several committees, she articulated her goals were to “make a difference” and “lift as you climb.”

Join the panel/community conversation after the screening on June 12.

Questions? Please email Sylvia Sepulveda.

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June Screening