- That makes me wanna transition into
what it must have been like to play Shirley Chisholm
and to think about who she is, because you know,
again, like you were just saying,
I feel like Shirley Chisholm set up a standard
and a bar that you know, she was so visible
in a way where a lot of women after her were like,
that was an influence on them.
That was somebody that they needed to see there
to know that they could be there as well.
So I guess I wanted to talk to you about lessons learned
from examining and playing Shirley Chisholm.
- Yeah, I mean it was really dope, honestly.
It was awesome, it was awesome and it was,
not even trying to be you know, whatever,
it was really, truly an honor.
The best thing that I got out of playing that role
was understanding that I'm not alone in this fight
of feeling like who I think I am and what is possible
for me can be different from what the world thinks
is possible for you.
And that was what I got out of this.
Woman who's running for president in 1972.
She's not running for president, you know, 2016.
She's running in a time where she's standing right
on the heels of the Civil Rights Voting Act,
death of Martin Luther King, death of Malcolm X.
Montgomery Bus Boycott, March on Summit.
Name it, (snaps) she's in that space, right?
And the fact that she's doing it,
you realize she is a woman, she is a Black woman,
she is Black in America.
Her idea of her own possibility
and the definition of who she is
is different than what this country is.
And therefore, what a might she must be made of.
What a strength she has, what a heavy lift
that must have been, you know?
That's what I think about.
I think about the end of that day.
I think about how she was dressed
and the wig, everything to be seen,
the bold colors she's wearing, you know?
She's doing those things to be seen
in a world that doesn't see her.
You know, it has to be that big,
otherwise you might look right over her.
- Wow. - Hm.
That's fantastic.
And speaking of Black women who have been looked over,
we actually had a little conversation
about this where we were talking about,
'cause you had just mentioned the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
And we were talking about, you know,
you wanted to kind of talk about women who a lot
of people didn't know were out there.
And you had mentioned Jo Ann Robinson.
- Mm-hmm, yeah.
- Yes, so can you tell us a little bit
about Jo Ann Robinson?
- Well, Jo Ann Robinson, you know, was a part
of a women's club in Montgomery, like a social club.
And what people think, I think a lot of times,
people think of the Montgomery Bus Boycott,
they often think of Martin Luther King coming in
and I think they think of, of course, Rosa Parks.
- Yeah.
And I think people often think
that the Montgomery Bus Boycott was something
that was organized, started by all
these historical Black male figures,
when the truth of the matter is, it was a group of women
who started it, a group of Black women more specifically,
led by one Jo Ann Robinson.
And I think I want everybody in the world
to know her name because it's critical,
because I think we look at this time now
and we're seeing all these amazing voices
from Black women, whether it's Opal,
whether it's Black Lives Matter women,
whether it's Tamika Mallory, you know.
We're hearing all these names,
thinking that this is the first time
that Black women have swept in
and saved the day, when it's not.
Trust me. (laughs) (laughing)
When it's not, it's been an erasure in history.
There's an erasure that's happened.
(whooshing)
(hinge creaks)