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Shirley Chisholm had a spirit unlike any other. She was a woman of many firsts: the first Black woman to be elected into Congress and the first Black woman to run for president. Nicknamed “Fighting Shirley,” Chisholm kicked down barriers for women in politics and became a prime example of taking control of one’s destiny.‘Spirit and Spunk’: Chisholm’s early years Chisholm’s story begins in 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, where she was born the oldest of four daughters to Charles St. Hill, a factory laborer from Guyana, and Ruby Seale St. Hill, a seamstress from Barbados. She spent part of her childhood in Barbados on her grandmother’s farm, where she received a British education. Chisholm said in a previous interview Barbados was where she gained the ‘spirit and spunk’ to challenge the status quo – characteristics she would carry for the rest of her life. After graduating from Brooklyn College cum laude in 1946, Chisholm began her career as a nursery school teacher and then as the director of two daycare centers. In 1949, Chisholm married Conrad Q. Chisholm, who was a private investigator. In 1951, she earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in early childhood education. By 1960, she was a consultant for New York City’s Division of Daycare. Chisholm had always been a fighter for social equality within her community – she joined the local Brooklyn chapters of the League of Women Voters, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Urban League and the Democratic Party Club. ‘Unbought and Unbossed’Chisholm took her passion for helping others to a new level by entering into politics. In 1964, Chisholm became the second African American elected in the New York State Legislature. When court-ordered redistricting created a new, heavily Democratic Congressional district in her neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Chisholm seized the opportunity to run. While campaigning, Chisholm would roam the new district in a sound truck announcing “Ladies and gentlemen, this is fighting Shirley Chisholm coming through.”She won her seat and broke historic grounds by becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress. Once in office, Chisholm wasted no time speaking out and fighting for issues that mattered to her. According to the New York Times, Chisholm said in her victory speech, “Just wait, there may be some fireworks.” In her first floor speech, she spoke out against the Vietnam War. She also spoke out against being assigned to the Committee on Agriculture, stating it did not reflect her constituents who lived in an urban area. She was later reassigned to the Veterans Committee. She then served on the Committee on Education and Labor. She also served as secretary of the Democratic Caucus. Chisholm introduced over 50 pieces of legislation, including playing a key role in the passage of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that is still used to this day. She was fluent in Spanish and stood up for the rights of immigrants, children, women and low-income families. Her iconic campaign motto, “Unbought and Unbossed,” helped her stand out as a fearless leader. Running for president In 1972, Chisholm announced she was running for president – becoming the first woman and African American to seek a major party’s nomination. In a previous interview, one reporter questioned whether she believed America was ready for a president that was both Black and a woman. “I think what is even more important than whether or not America is ready for me as a president is to begin to prepare America for the fact that it is time that other people in America besides white males run for the highest office of this flag,” Chisholm said. “It’s a preparation for the atmosphere to bring about the realization that someday Blacks will lead this country…that someday women will lead this country. That’s what this is all about.” Running as a Black woman wasn’t easy – she had to sue her way into televised debates which only allowed her to make one speech. She also survived three assassination attempts. Despite these obstacles, Chisholm did not let that deter her. “I have always been a catalyst for change,” Chisholm said in a previous campaign speech. “You’re going to have the doomsday criers out here saying that, ‘the woman is crazy, she’s nuts,’ but they said I was crazy from 20 years ago when I first emerged on the political scene. So let them continue to think I’m crazy.” In the end, Chisholm’s campaign was underfunded and she ended up losing her candidacy at the Democratic National Convention. Despite that, Chisholm came in fourth place, receiving 152 delegate votes. Chisholm would keep her seat in Congress and stayed until 1982. She founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971 and the Congressional Women’s Caucus in 1977. Through her time she sponsored increases in federal funding to extend the hours of daycare facilities and a guaranteed annual income for families. In a previous New York Times interview, Chisholm said she had been misunderstood during her career – mentioning how her supporters were shocked when she visited former Alabama governor George C. Wallace, a segregationist known for his racist remarks, who was injured after an assassination attempt in 1972. She said she never wanted what happened to him to happen to anyone else. Chisholm said Wallace ultimately helped her pass a piece of legislation through the House of Representatives that extended federal minimum-wage provisions to domestic workers by convincing his fellow Southern congress members to vote in favor.After leaving Congress, Chisholm co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women. She taught at Mt. Holyoke College in 1983. She died in 2005 in Ormond Beach, Florida at age 80. ‘Bring your own folding chair’: Chisholm’s lasting legacy Chisholm’s legacy continues to inspire a new class of leaders, including Kamala Harris, who became the first woman, first Black and South Asian to be vice president of the United States. Chisholm’s outspokenness challenged voters to question the status quo, and reimagine what a successful politician could look like. In 2015, Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama. Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood, who became the first Black woman elected to the House of Democrats leadership team since Chisholm, paid homage to her in a tweet, stating, “Shirley Chisholm taught me that if people don’t invite you to the table, bring your own folding chair. Doing that to stand up for my community fuels me everyday.”
Shirley Chisholm had a spirit unlike any other. She was a woman of many firsts: the first Black woman to be elected into Congress and the first Black woman to run for president.
Nicknamed “Fighting Shirley,” Chisholm kicked down barriers for women in politics and became a prime example of taking control of one’s destiny.
‘Spirit and Spunk’: Chisholm’s early years
Chisholm’s story begins in 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, where she was born the oldest of four daughters to Charles St. Hill, a factory laborer from Guyana, and Ruby Seale St. Hill, a seamstress from Barbados. She spent part of her childhood in Barbados on her grandmother’s farm, where she received a British education.
Chisholm said in a previous interview Barbados was where she gained the ‘spirit and spunk’ to challenge the status quo – characteristics she would carry for the rest of her life.
After graduating from Brooklyn College cum laude in 1946, Chisholm began her career as a nursery school teacher and then as the director of two daycare centers. In 1949, Chisholm married Conrad Q. Chisholm, who was a private investigator.
In 1951, she earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in early childhood education. By 1960, she was a consultant for New York City’s Division of Daycare.
Chisholm had always been a fighter for social equality within her community – she joined the local Brooklyn chapters of the League of Women Voters, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Urban League and the Democratic Party Club.
‘Unbought and Unbossed’
Chisholm took her passion for helping others to a new level by entering into politics. In 1964, Chisholm became the second African American elected in the New York State Legislature.
When court-ordered redistricting created a new, heavily Democratic Congressional district in her neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Chisholm seized the opportunity to run.
While campaigning, Chisholm would roam the new district in a sound truck announcing “Ladies and gentlemen, this is fighting Shirley Chisholm coming through.”
She won her seat and broke historic grounds by becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress.
Once in office, Chisholm wasted no time speaking out and fighting for issues that mattered to her. According to the New York Times, Chisholm said in her victory speech, “Just wait, there may be some fireworks.”
In her first floor speech, she spoke out against the Vietnam War. She also spoke out against being assigned to the Committee on Agriculture, stating it did not reflect her constituents who lived in an urban area. She was later reassigned to the Veterans Committee. She then served on the Committee on Education and Labor. She also served as secretary of the Democratic Caucus.
Chisholm introduced over 50 pieces of legislation, including playing a key role in the passage of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that is still used to this day.
She was fluent in Spanish and stood up for the rights of immigrants, children, women and low-income families. Her iconic campaign motto, “Unbought and Unbossed,” helped her stand out as a fearless leader.
Running for president
In 1972, Chisholm announced she was running for president – becoming the first woman and African American to seek a major party’s nomination.
In a previous interview, one reporter questioned whether she believed America was ready for a president that was both Black and a woman.
“I think what is even more important than whether or not America is ready for me as a president is to begin to prepare America for the fact that it is time that other people in America besides white males run for the highest office of this flag,” Chisholm said. “It’s a preparation for the atmosphere to bring about the realization that someday Blacks will lead this country…that someday women will lead this country. That’s what this is all about.”
Running as a Black woman wasn’t easy – she had to sue her way into televised debates which only allowed her to make one speech. She also survived three assassination attempts. Despite these obstacles, Chisholm did not let that deter her.
“I have always been a catalyst for change,” Chisholm said in a previous campaign speech. “You’re going to have the doomsday criers out here saying that, ‘the woman is crazy, she’s nuts,’ but they said I was crazy from 20 years ago when I first emerged on the political scene. So let them continue to think I’m crazy.”
In the end, Chisholm’s campaign was underfunded and she ended up losing her candidacy at the Democratic National Convention. Despite that, Chisholm came in fourth place, receiving 152 delegate votes.
Chisholm would keep her seat in Congress and stayed until 1982. She founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971 and the Congressional Women’s Caucus in 1977. Through her time she sponsored increases in federal funding to extend the hours of daycare facilities and a guaranteed annual income for families.
In a previous New York Times interview, Chisholm said she had been misunderstood during her career – mentioning how her supporters were shocked when she visited former Alabama governor George C. Wallace, a segregationist known for his racist remarks, who was injured after an assassination attempt in 1972. She said she never wanted what happened to him to happen to anyone else.
Chisholm said Wallace ultimately helped her pass a piece of legislation through the House of Representatives that extended federal minimum-wage provisions to domestic workers by convincing his fellow Southern congress members to vote in favor.
After leaving Congress, Chisholm co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women. She taught at Mt. Holyoke College in 1983. She died in 2005 in Ormond Beach, Florida at age 80.
‘Bring your own folding chair’: Chisholm’s lasting legacy
Chisholm’s legacy continues to inspire a new class of leaders, including Kamala Harris, who became the first woman, first Black and South Asian to be vice president of the United States.
Chisholm’s outspokenness challenged voters to question the status quo, and reimagine what a successful politician could look like.
In 2015, Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama.
Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood, who became the first Black woman elected to the House of Democrats leadership team since Chisholm, paid homage to her in a tweet, stating, “Shirley Chisholm taught me that if people don’t invite you to the table, bring your own folding chair. Doing that to stand up for my community fuels me everyday.”
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