A More Perfect Party: The Night Shirley Chisholm and Diahann Carroll Reshaped Politics

by Juanita Tolliver

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

A detailed, glittering account of a fundraising soirée for the ages: the very first presidential campaign for a Black woman. With a chapter-by-chapter look at individual guests, A More Perfect Party is a necessary deep-dive into a trailblazing politician.

"A beautifully written political-social page turner" (Joy-Ann Reid) about the legendary party hosted by Diahann Carroll for Shirley Chisholm's 1972 presidential campaign, which changed the playing field for Black women in politics.

In 1972, New York Representative Shirley Chisholm broke the ice in American politics when she became the first Black woman to run for president of the United States. Chisholm left behind a coalition-building model personified by a once-in-an-era Hollywood party hosted by legendary actress and singer Diahann Carroll, and attended by the likes of Huey P. Newton, Barbara Lee, Berry Gordy, David Frost, Flip Wilson, Goldie Hawn and others. In A More Perfect Party, MSNBC political analyst Juanita Tolliver presents a path to people-centered politics through the lens of this soiree, with surprising parallels to our current electoral reality.

Chisholm worked the crowd of movie stars, media moguls, music executives and activists gathered at Carroll’s opulent Beverly Hills home, forging relationships with laughter as she urged guests to unify behind her campaign. With the feminist movement on the rise and eighteen- to twenty-year-olds voting for the first time in American history, the Democratic Party and the nation were on the cusp of long-overdue change.

Zooming in on one party attendee per chapter, A More Perfect Party brings this whimsical event out of the margins of history to demonstrate that there is an opportunity for all of us to fight for a better nation and return power to the people.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538770221
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	01/14/2025
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Juanita Tolliver is an MSNBC Political Analyst, an Opinion Contributor for theGrio, and a Contributor for SiriusXM Progress. Previously, she served as the Director of Campaigns at the Center for American Progress. She is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

 

Editorial Reviews

Tolliver reveals the intimate inner workings of how Black Hollywood, Black activists, and Black leaders coalesced behind a former-schoolteacher turned history-maker. In doing so, Tolliver also offers insight on how we may be able to better work together in service of new leadership today. We can build power and have fun, but it takes true community.”

—Elle

“[A More Perfect Party is an] ebullient and trenchant look at a trailblazing campaign for president. Tolliver writes that the fundraiser fueled a sense of optimism among traditionally marginalized groups. A Black woman has yet to be elected president of the United States, but that day may come, thanks in no small part to Shirley Chisholm paving the way.”  
 —Kirkus

"A More Perfect Party is a must-read. Tolliver’s work is not only a deep dive into a pivotal moment in history but also a call to action for readers to reflect on their own roles in shaping a better nation."—TheGrio

“Juanita Tolliver reveals what might be the most iconic fundraising party of all time. A More Perfect Party is a beautifully written political-social page turner, full of hope, glamour, the triumphs and failures of race and gender allyship, and most of all, the audacity to believe a Black woman could be the president of the United States of America. This is a perfectly timed book.” —Joy-Ann Reid, host of MSNBC’s The ReidOut and New York Times bestselling author of Medgar and Myrlie

“Juanita Tolliver is an incisive, vibrant, and increasingly prominent voice in today’s politics, and she brings her analytical lens and appreciation for history to A More Perfect Party. Effective campaigns bring people together, and progress usually requires that we see each other as fully human and valuable; Tolliver explores those themes through the 1972 Democratic Party, and one dazzling, historic, literal party — with lessons that echo in today’s debates about liberalism, diversity and of course, winning.”—Ari Melber, host of MSNBC’s The Beat and MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent

“A More Perfect Party is a detailed, thorough, and inspiring look into the meeting between Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and Diahann Carroll that brought together two of the most influential Black women of our time—both from very different walks of life, both looking to change the world. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Juanita Tolliver’s gifted storytelling brings this historic encounter back to life in a way that has never been done before. As we celebrate what would have been Congresswoman Chisholm’s 100th birthday, Tolliver's timely book is a reminder that because of Shirley Chisholm, I am. Tolliver’s work emphasizes Chisholm's impact, and beautifully connects it to what we're witnessing in politics today.” —U.S. Representative Barbara Lee

“Juanita Tolliver artfully weaves together pop culture and history to shed new light on Shirley Chisholm's enduring legacy and lessons from her political career that our nation can, and must, learn. The vivid stories Tolliver presents speak to each of the necessary ingredients for building power and community, offering a roadmap through complex American history, our current reality, and the limitless future of Black women in politics.”—Anna Malaika Tubbs, New York Times bestselling author of The Three Mothers

“Juanita does something beautiful throughout these pages. She captures a story that is unique and universal at the same time—a snapshot of Black women striving to make change. A must read for those in the work of movement and coalition building.”—U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley

"A More Perfect Party is the story of the historic presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm, which turns out to be the story of the historic presidential campaign of Kamala Harris, which turns out to be the story of Black women and their historic campaigns to make America great for the first time ever. Black women can help us, if we'd only just let them."—Elie Mystal, New York Times bestselling author of Allow Me to Retort

From the Publisher

2024-11-23
When a Black woman ran for president—more than half a century ago.

In 2022, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Chisholm’s historic campaign as the first woman and African American to run for president, Tolliver interviewed Chisholm’s close friend, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee. During the interview, Lee casually mentioned that Carroll had held a fundraiser for Chisholm at the actress’ Hollywood mansion—and that she had brought with her the Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton. Fascinated by this slice of “living, breathing Black history,” Tolliver dove into a research project about the party that uncovered surprising details about the event and its attendees. Among them was that Lee met future fellow House Rep. Maxine Waters at the party—Waters, then an activist, was answering the door for guests. The comedian Flip Wilson co-hosted the get-together, writing a check for $5,000. It wasn’t an astronomical sum—about $38,000 in today’s dollars—but it was the largest donation the campaign had received, and it paid for ads that helped Chisholm win roughly 5% of the vote in California. This was especially impressive since Chisholm had been excluded from televised debates. Tolliver writes that the fundraiser fueled a sense of optimism among traditionally marginalized groups. And she draws parallels between that long-ago campaign and current-day politics. A Black woman has yet to be elected president of the United States, but that day may come, thanks in no small part to Shirley Chisholm paving the way.

An ebullient and trenchant look at a trailblazing campaign for president.

Kirkus Reviews