Black History Month continues, and we are happy to note that Barbara Winslow’s new biography of Shirley Chisholm is quickly gaining recognition.
The book, Shirley Chisholm: Catalyst for Change, is the first in over 40 years, and the only one to cover the later part of Ms. Chisholm’s life. Ms. Chisholm, who was the nation’s first African American woman elected to Congress and the first to run for President, fought for equal pay, access to education, universal child care and many other issues that still resonate today. In fact, the US Post Office just came out with a stamp in her honor!
And it appears that news about the new book is spreading fast, and journalists, scholars and the general public are taking notice.
Tonight, Friday, February 14th, Barbara will join Shola Lynch, director of the documentary Shirley Chisholm: Unbought and Unbossed on Errol Louis’ Inside City Hall show on NY1. They will discuss Ms. Chisholm’s legacy, her importance in today’s world, and how her current acclaim differs from how she was received by her contemporaries. Tune in tonight, Friday at 7pm or 10pm, or watch for the online link after the show airs.
Barbara will also appear this Sunday, February 16th @ noon on ABC-TV’s Here and Now show to talk with host Sandra Bookman about the book, why parts of it prompt such anger and frustration among many readers, and what it means to bring Ms. Chisholm’s story out of the dry world of trivia facts, into the light of present-day notice.
The book has been getting noticed in print and online too. The New York Times’ Sam Roberts highlighted the biography in his latest book selection column on February 6th. The Park Slope Patch interviewed Barbara about the Chisholm Project at Brooklyn College, and her inspiration to write the book. The Brooklyn Paper also interviewed Barbara about her quest to keep Ms. Chisholm’s name and significance fresh in current history, and the role she sees the detailed and enlightening book playing in remedying the gap in our collective memory. The site Truthout also offered their own, very positive review of the book.
We hope you’ll check out these stories, and tune in for Barbara’s television appearances! The book is available on all the main online stores, like Amazon, as well as in kindle ebook format.