A More Perfect Party - by Juanita Tolliver (Hardcover)

About the Book

"By becoming the first black woman to run for President of the United States in 1972, New York Representative Shirley Chisholm did more than break the ice in American politics, she left behind a coalition model that requires voters in the United States to show up and show out for the candidates they trust. This coalition model lives on in one whimsical-but little known-1972 Hollywood fundraiser for Chisholm's Presidential Campaign hosted by Diahann Carroll. In A More Perfect Party, MSNBC political analyst and cohost of Crooked Media's What A Day podcast Juanita Tolliver argues that this model is exactly what we must employ today to support Black women's' electoral success. When actress and singer Diahann Carroll opened the doors of her opulent Hollywood home to Shirley Chisholm and her guest list of Black Panther Party members, lauded musicians, political supporters and adversaries, Hollywood movers and shakers, and philanthropists, she knew they were in for a fabulous party. Chisholm worked the room, laughing, eating, and meeting with each guest to show how their respective fields were integral to her political success and the betterment of the United States. A More Perfect Party explores this unreal coming together of Diahann Carroll, Huey P. Newton, Goldie Hawn, Berry Gordy and more, and what their conversations tell us about our current political landscape. Zooming in on one integral conversation per chapter, this book highlights the gaps that today's voters must address to challenge sluggish progress. Chisholm and Huey P. Newton talk voter turnout initiative for the Black Panthers. Chisholm encourages actress Goldie Hawn to take a confident, feminist stance against racism. Media mogul David Frost and Chisholm parse through media's impact on the nation's calcified thinking that only white people and men are capable leaders. A More Perfect Party is what happens when voters, donors, and kingmakers, step up and answer the call. Tolliver brings this forgotten event out of the margins of history to show curious voters of today the power of starting with their own interests to get involved politically and the pitfalls of sexism, racism, and fascism that stand in our way. By leveraging Chisholm's coalition blueprint, Black women candidates today can reach new political heights"--

Book Synopsis

"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.

Review Quotes

"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 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

"[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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

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.