Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta VoiceWith the historic 2024 Presidential election just days away on November 5, The Synchronicity Theatre presents Shirley Chisholm: Unbossed & Unbowed, a one-woman play starring and directed by Ingrid Griffith that delves into the life of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for the U.S. presidency in 1972.The show exploring the details of Chisholm’s life that are unknown to the general public focuses on not just her but Chisholm’s Father, Charles Christopher St. Hill, who served under the Marcus Garvey movement and how that affected her upbringing and subsequently her adult life as a politician. Wanting to tell Chisholm’s life as a real human, Griffith reflected on her first encounter with Chisholm’s story after not knowing very much about her, “I didn’t know her story fully, not even half of it, not even a quarter. After seeing a documentary about her, maybe 10 years ago, I said, ‘I wonder what else I don’t know about her?’ I was curious to know her circumstances, where she was from, and her family background. She made it so far in the election—over 50 years ago! It was astonishing.”That curiosity led Griffith down a rabbit hole of discovery, eventually leading her to tell Chisholm’s story in her own voice, from her own perspective. “I started digging, and the more I found, the more I was in awe,” she said. “Her story is amazing, and my generation, generations before me, and generations after me don’t know about Shirley Chisholm. As an actor, I thought this is a good vehicle for me to bring her story to life.”Much of Griffith’s motivation stems from her Caribbean background and familiarity with Chisholm’s cultural heritage. “Her dad was from Guyana, and I’m from Guyana,” she explained. “Her mom was from Barbados- I know that type of woman. I’ve seen that type in the church in Guyana—the older, very reserved woman, dignified and strict. I wanted to play her; I wanted to dress like her. She had fabulous outfits, and I just loved the boldness of it all,” Griffith said. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta VoiceExecutive producer Stefanyemiya Ingram noted the significance of Griffith’s portrayal, describing her as “incredible” in the role. Ingram recounted her first experience with the play at a small, intimate showing. “After I saw it, I knew it needed to be on stage, in lights,” she said. However, the process of bringing Unbossed & Unbowed to a wider audience was not without its challenges. Ingram admitted, “I’m creative, and all the logistics were not my ministry, but I jumped over a lot of hurdles to make this happen, and I’m so proud,” Ingram said.One of Griffith’s biggest challenges—and most remarkable achievements—was taking on 15 characters throughout the play. “I play all the announcers, her mom, everybody,” she said. “I knew if I tried to pitch this as a traditional play, no one would take it. They’d say, ‘Who are you?’ And I get it—budget constraints, production limitations—but I believed in this story.” “Storm the ballot boxes like they stormed the capital,” a line by Griffith in-character as Chisholm serves as the call-to-action at the show’s end and a perfect lead-in into the upcoming Election Day. Griffith sees the timing of the show as more than coincidental. “People must go out to vote because it’s going to make a difference, especially this election,” she emphasized. “If we don’t do it—women, people of color—then who will?” Griffith connected Chisholm’s legacy to current-day voter mobilization, drawing parallels between Chisholm’s groundbreaking work and Kamala Harris’s historic candidacy. “Before there was Kamala, there was Shirley,” she said. “They’re saying the same things. More than ever, we need to get to the voting booths on Tuesday. It’s not a love story; it’s about democracy and its promises.”The show opened on Thursday, Oct. 31, with performances running until November 4, before Election Day. Before election day, the Synchronicity Theatre will host a special prayer gathering on November 4th. “This isn’t just about one election,” Griffith said. “After this election, it’s up to us as a community to stay engaged, to keep building leadership, to keep telling our stories. They’re banning books; stories like this one are buried. If we knew these stories sooner, they’d empower us—empower our culture, show us our potential. That’s what I want this play to do.”As Griffith said, “If we don’t know our stories, we don’t know ourselves.” To purchase tickets or for more information, visit https://www.theeik.com/event-list . The post Shirley Chisholm: Unbossed and Unbowed – A Timely Tribute on the Eve of a Historic Election appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.