Review – Chisolm '72: Unbought and Unbossed

As we celebrate the historic election of 2008, we need to keep in mind that Barack Obama’s victory was the latest step in a long process. And one of the key moments in that process occurred back in 1972 when Shirley Chisolm had the guts to make a serious run for the Presidency. Though the racism and sexism thriving in society at the time were far too strong for her to ever have had a serious chance at overall success, the hard work ably documented in this movie helped pave the way for the future victories against bigotry. Thus this movie makes a good “feel good” piece if you need one. It’s also an interesting demonstration of how the mainstream media – particularly broadcast news operations – worked to marginalize all but a select few candidates (something they of course still routinely do). Mildly amusing