Miscellaneous
Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first woman to seek the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. A lifelong advocate for racial and gender equality, she is recognized as one of the 20th century’s greatest champions for civil rights. Chisholm was in Brooklyn in 1924 to a working-class Caribbean family and graduated from Brooklyn College in 1946 before receiving her master’s in elementary education from Columbia University. While working as a daycare director and educational consultant early in her career, Chisholm embedded herself in activism, becoming involved in local political clubs such as the Bedford-Stuyvesant Political League, the League of Women Voters, and the Brooklyn branch of the National Association of College Women. Chisholm's historic journey as a public servant began when she was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1965, where she served for three years. In the Assembly, Chisholm became known as a strong fighter for the civil rights of workers, immigrants, and women. In an upset victory, Chisholm was elected as the Democratic Congresswoman of New York’s 12th district in 1968. During her fourteen-year tenure in Congress, Chisholm was known as “Fighting Shirley Chisholm” and became a staunch advocate for healthcare, education, and social services issues. She befriended her ideological opponents, remained close to activist communities, and advanced the civil rights movement. Chisholm made history when she launched a campaign for president in 1971. Her campaign theme was “unbossed and unbought,” and promised to fight for social justice and economic issues that affected marginalized communities. Her campaign was met with prejudice from members of both political parties, and she was blocked from participating in televised primary debates. However, despite discrimination and an underfinanced campaign, Chisholm won 152 delegate votes at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. Although her campaign was unsuccessful, Chisholm continued to fight for progressive policies in Congress before retiring in 1983 to teach at Mount Holyoke College. Since her passing in 2005, Chisholm continues to serve as an inspiration and is credited as a trailblazer for women and people of color in politics. She was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Shirley Chisholm State Park opened in Brooklyn in 2019. Later this year, she will be portrayed in the upcoming film “The Fighting Shirley Chisholm” and television series “Mrs. America.”