Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Anita Chisholm ( ; ; November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005) was an American politician who, in 1968, became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm represented New York's 12th congressional district, a district centered in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In 1972, she became the first black candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Throughout her career, she was known for taking "a resolute stand against economic, social, and political injustices", as well as being a strong supporter of black civil rights and women's rights.

Born in Brooklyn, New York City, she spent ages five through nine in Barbados, and she always considered herself a Barbadian American. She excelled at school and earned her degrees in Brooklyn and at Columbia University. She started working in early-childhood education, and she became involved in local Democratic Party politics in the 1950s. In 1964, overcoming resistance because she was a woman, she was elected to the New York State Assembly. Four years later, she was elected to Congress, where she led the expansion of food and nutrition programs for the poor and rose to party leadership. She retired from Congress in 1983 and taught at Mount Holyoke College while continuing her political organizing. Although nominated for the ambassadorship to Jamaica in 1993, health issues caused her to withdraw. Chisholm was posthumously awarded both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

Early life and education

Shirley Anita St. Hill was born to immigrant parents on November 30, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York City. She was of Afro-Guyanese and Afro-Barbadian descent. She had three younger sisters, before moving to Barbados. He arrived in New York City via Antilla, Cuba, in 1923.

Charles St. Hill was a laborer who worked in a factory that made burlap bags and as a baker's helper. Ruby St. Hill was a skilled seamstress and domestic worker who experienced the difficulty of working outside the home while simultaneously raising her children. Shirley and her sisters lived on their grandmother's farm in the Vauxhall village in Christ Church, where Shirley attended a one-room schoolhouse. She returned to the United States in 1934, arriving in New York on May 19 aboard the SS Nerissa. As a result of her time in Barbados, Shirley spoke with a West Indian accent throughout her life.  In her 1970 autobiography, Unbought and Unbossed, she wrote: "Years later I would know what an important gift my parents had given me by seeing to it that I had my early education in the strict, traditional, British-style schools of Barbados. If I speak and write easily now, that early education is the main reason." In addition, she belonged to the Quaker Brethren sect found in the West Indies, and religion became important to her; however, later in life, she attended services in a Methodist church. She did well academically at Girls' High and was chosen to be vice president of the Junior Arista honor society. She was accepted at and offered scholarships to Vassar College and Oberlin College, but the family could not afford the room-and-board costs to go to either school; instead, she selected Brooklyn College, where there was no charge for tuition and she could live at home and commute to the school.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College in 1946, majoring in sociology and minoring in Spanish (a language that she would employ at times during her political career). As a member of the Harriet Tubman Society, she advocated for inclusion (specifically in terms of the integration of black soldiers in the military during World War II), the addition of courses that focused on African-American history and the involvement of more women in the student government. However, this was not her first introduction to activism or politics. Growing up, she was surrounded by politics, as her father was an avid supporter of Marcus Garvey's and a dedicated supporter of the rights of trade union members. She subsequently suffered two miscarriages, and, to their disappointment, the couple would have no children; although, in the view of scholar Julie Gallagher, it is possible that her career goals played a role in this outcome as well. She would work at the center in a teaching role from 1946 to 1953. She also was a representative of the Brooklyn branch of the National Association of College Women. Furthermore, within the political organizations that she joined, Chisholm sought to make meaningful changes to the structure and make-up of the organizations, specifically the Brooklyn Democratic Clubs, which resulted in her being able to recruit more people of color into the 17th District Club and, thus, local politics.|width=27%|align=left|style=padding:8px;

After Jones accepted a judicial appointment rather than seek reelection, Chisholm sought to run for his seat in the New York state assembly in 1964. One of her early activities in the Assembly was to argue against the state's literacy test requiring English, holding that just because a person "functions better in his native language is no sign a person is illiterate". By early 1966, she was a leader in a push by the statewide Council of Elected Negro Democrats for black representation on key committees in the Assembly.

Her successes in the legislature included getting unemployment benefits extended to domestic workers.

In August 1968, she was elected as the Democratic National Committeewoman from New York State. As a result of the redrawing, the white incumbent in the former 12th, Representative Edna F. Kelly, sought reelection in a different district. In the June 18 Democratic primary, Chisholm defeated two other black opponents, State Senator William S. Thompson and labor official Dollie Robertson. In the general election, she staged an upset victory and she was the only woman in the first-year class that year.

Early terms

thumb|right|upright=1.2|Chisholm and [[Adam Clayton Powell Jr. serve as Grand Marshals of Harlem's first African American Day Parade, September 21, 1969]]

Speaker of the House John W. McCormack assigned Chisholm to serve on the House Agriculture Committee. Given her urban district, she felt that the placement was irrelevant to her constituents. Chisholm was then also placed on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. which was her preferred committee. In January 1971, Chisholm was one of 74

U.S. representatives to co-sponsor the House version of the Health Security Act, a bipartisan universal healthcare bill that supported the creation of a government health insurance program to cover every person in America.

In May 1971, Chisholm and fellow New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug introduced a bill to provide $10 billion in federal funds for child-care services by 1975. A less expensive version introduced by Senator Walter Mondale

1972 presidential campaign

alt=Black and white image of an African-American woman (Shirley Chisholm) wearing a white sweater and glasses, talking. Above the image reads "Bring U.S. Together" and below the image reads "Vote Chisholm 1972 unbought and unbossed".|thumb|Shirley Chisholm 1972 presidential campaign poster

Chisholm began exploring her candidacy in July 1971 and formally announced her presidential bid on January 25, 1972,

Her campaign was underfunded, only spending $300,000 in total. Chisholm's base of support was ethnically diverse and included the National Organization for Women. Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem attempted to run as Chisholm delegates in New York.

At the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida, there were still efforts taking place by the campaign of former Vice President Hubert Humphrey to stop the nomination of Senator George McGovern for president. After that failed and McGovern's nomination was assured, as a symbolic gesture, Humphrey released his black delegates to Chisholm. This, combined with defections from disenchanted delegates from other candidates, as well as the delegates that she had won in the primaries, gave her a total of 152 first-ballot votes for the presidential nomination during the July 12 roll call. None of these fit the usual definition of winning a plurality of the contested popular vote or delegate allocations at the time of a state primary, caucus or state convention. In the June 6 New Jersey primary, there was a complex ballot that featured both a delegate-selection vote and a non-binding, non-delegate-producing "beauty contest" presidential preference vote. In that non-binding preference tally, which the Associated Press described as "meaningless", Chisholm received the majority of votes: 51,433, which was 66.9 percent. Leading up to the convention, McGovern was thought to control 20 of Louisiana's 44 delegates, with most of the rest uncommitted. During the actual roll call at the national convention, Louisiana passed at first, then cast 18.5 of its 44 votes for Chisholm, with the next-best finishers being McGovern and Senator Henry M. Jackson with 10.25 each. In Mississippi, there were two rival party factions that each selected delegates at their own state conventions and caucuses: "regulars", representing the mostly white state Democratic Party, and "loyalists", representing many blacks and white liberals. Each slate professed to be largely uncommitted, but the regulars were thought to favor Wallace and the loyalists McGovern. During the actual balloting, Mississippi went in the first half of the roll call, and cast 12 of its 25 votes for Chisholm, with McGovern coming next with 10 votes.

During the campaign, the German filmmaker Peter Lilienthal shot the documentary film Shirley Chisholm for President for the German television channel ZDF.

Later terms

thumb|Chisholm at the [[1984 Democratic National Convention]]

Chisholm created controversy when she visited rival and ideological opposite George Wallace in the hospital soon after his shooting in May 1972, during the presidential primary campaign. Several years later, when Chisholm worked on a bill to give domestic workers the right to a minimum wage, Wallace helped gain votes from enough Southern congressmen to push the legislation through the House.

From 1977 to 1981, during the 95th Congress and 96th Congress, Chisholm served as Secretary of the Democratic Caucus.

Throughout her tenure in Congress, Chisholm worked to improve opportunities for inner-city residents. She opposed the American involvement in the Vietnam War and the expansion of weapon developments.

She was a forceful advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment, believing that the initial value of passing it would be in the social and psychological effects that it would have more than any economic or legal impact. She did not want the amendment modified to incorporate a provision that would permit laws that purportedly protected the health and safety of women, saying such a modification would continue a traditional avenue of discrimination against women. Regarding a specific argument made along these lines, that the amendment would require women to be subject to the draft, Chisholm was unperturbed, saying that if there was a draft, women could serve, and that some larger, stronger women might perform better in infantry roles than some smaller, weaker men.

At the same time, Chisholm was aware of how much of second-wave feminism in the United States focused on the concerns of middle-class white women, such as the adoption of the term "Ms." Later that year, on November 26, Chisholm defended herself by saying that she was selecting those candidates who could best protect the interests of, and produce government benefits for, her constituents, but critics said that her behavior put the lie to the "unbossed" part of her slogan. Desiring to take care of her husband, and also dissatisfied with the course of liberal politics in the wake of the Reagan Revolution, Chisholm decided to leave Congress. She also lamented the tactics of the Christian right, which she said made potent use of the media and the symbols of family, morality and the national flag to quiet dissatisfaction in the people.

After leaving Congress in January 1983, Chisholm made her home in Williamsville, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. Wanting to resume her career in education, she had hoped to be named a college president, in particular of Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn or of City College of New York in Manhattan, but past political opponents were influential in the selection processes and she received neither post. Similarly, a move to make her New York City Schools Chancellor was blocked by teachers-union head, and longtime foe, Albert Shanker, and she withdrew from consideration for that position.

However, she was offered a dozen possible teaching positions at colleges. She accepted being named to the Purington Chair at the all-women Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, a position that she held for the next four years. She was not a member of any particular department, but was able to teach classes in a variety of areas; those previously holding the professorship included W. H. Auden, Bertrand Russell and Arna Bontemps.

In 1984, Chisholm and C. Delores Tucker co-founded an organization initially known as the National Black Women's Political Caucus. This was established during the vice presidential campaign of Geraldine Ferraro. African-American women from various political organizations convened to set forth a political agenda emphasizing the needs of women of African descent. Chisholm was chosen as its first chair. Creation of the group represented a split with an earlier organization, the National Black Women's Political Leadership Caucus, which had been co-founded by Tucker in 1971. Following a protest by the earlier group, the new one changed its name to the National Political Congress of Black Women, later simplified to the National Congress of Black Women.

During those years, she continued to give speeches at colleges, by her own count visiting over 150 campuses since becoming nationally known. In 1990, Chisholm, along with 15 other black women and men, formed African-American Women for Reproductive Freedom.

Her husband, Arthur Hardwick, died in August 1986. Chisholm moved to Florida in 1991. In that same year, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

right|thumb|upright=1.2|The inscription on Chisholm's mausoleum, including her campaign slogan, "Unbought and Unbossed"

Chisholm died on January 1, 2005, at her home in Ormond Beach, Florida; her health had been in decline after she had suffered a series of small strokes the previous summer. She is buried in the Birchwood Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, where the legend inscribed on her vault reads: "Unbought and Unbossed".

Legacy

In February 2005, Shirley Chisholm '72: Unbought and Unbossed, a documentary film, aired on U.S. public television. It chronicled Chisholm's 1972 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. It was directed and produced by independent African-American filmmaker Shola Lynch. The film was featured at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. On April 9, 2006, the film was announced as a winner of a Peabody Award.

In 2014, the first biography of Chisholm for an adult audience was published, Shirley Chisholm: Catalyst for Change, by Brooklyn College history professor Barbara Winslow, who was also the founder and first director of the Shirley Chisholm Project. Until then, only several juvenile biographies had appeared.

Monuments

The Shirley Chisholm Project on Brooklyn Women's Activism (formerly known as the Shirley Chisholm Center for Research) exists at Brooklyn College to promote research projects and programs on women and to preserve Chisholm's legacy. The Chisholm Project also houses an archive as part of the Chisholm Papers in the college library Special Collections.

In January 2018, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his intent to build the Shirley Chisholm State Park, a state park along of the Jamaica Bay coastline, adjoining the Pennsylvania Avenue and Fountain Avenue landfills south of Spring Creek Park's Gateway Center section. The state park was dedicated to Chisholm that September. The park opened to the public on July 2, 2019.

In April 2023, the Vauxhall Primary School in Christ Church, Barbados, which was built in 1976 to replace the school where Chisholm received her elementary education, was renamed the Shirley Chisholm Primary School. The renaming ceremony was attended by Chisholm's relatives, and a plaque was unveiled by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the island's first female premier. The school's Shirley Chisholm Memorial Garden contains a bust of Chisholm and a colorful mural showcasing her achievements.

A memorial monument of Chisholm is planned for the entrance to Prospect Park in Brooklyn by Parkside Avenue station, designed by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous. After four years of delays and revisions, the project gained approval from the New York City Public Design Commission during 2023.

<big>Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute</big>

Founded in 1977 by Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and her colleagues, the Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute (SCCI) exists to “preserve the legacy of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm through the initiatives cultivated during her public service career with 21st century activism and innovation,” according to the Institute’s website. Chisholm started the Institute as a Nonprofit for children, and was originally named “Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute for Children,” to provide education and support for youths.

Barbara Bullard is the current president of the Institute and the only CEO in its history. The Institute furthers Chisholm’s legacy through national initiatives, including contributions to the Congressional Caucus for Black Women and Girls’ “Extended Black Women Best Policy Framework,” co-sponsorship of H.R. 1088—the Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Initiative—and organizing the historic visit of the Congressional Black Caucus to Brooklyn, New York.

The Shirley Chisholm Legacy Project

The Shirley Chisholm Legacy Project, founded by Jacqueline Patterson, aims to advance climate justice for black communities through the Just Transition Framework. This initiative links frontline black leaders, especially women, with the necessary resources to drive systemic change from harmful extractive practices to an economy that acknowledges the principles of sustainable living. The project aims to address the interconnected challenges of environmental issues, poverty, racial discrimination and gender inequality.

Political

Chisholm's legacy came into renewed prominence during the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton staged their historic "firsts" battle – where the victor would be either the first major-party African-American nominee, or the first female nominee – with at least one observer crediting Chisholm's 1972 campaign as having paved the way for both of them.

Chisholm has been a major influence on other women of color in politics, among them California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who stated in a 2017 interview that Chisholm had a profound impact on her career. Lee had worked for Chisholm's 1972 presidential campaign. Former Ohio state senator and president of Our Revolution Nina Turner has also described herself as a "Shirley Chisholm Democrat" and invoked her "unbought and unbossed" slogan, stating that the latter phrase "speaks to my soul every day".

By the time of the 50th anniversary of Chisholm entering Congress, The New York Times was headlining "2019 Belongs to Shirley Chisholm", saying that "Chisholm was a one-woman precursor to modern progressive politics" and that she was "enjoying a resurgence of interest 14 years after her death".

Chisholm has also inspired Vice President Kamala Harris, who recognized Chisholm's presidential campaign by using similar typography and red-and-yellow color scheme in her own 2020 presidential campaign's promotional materials and logo. Harris launched her presidential campaign 47 years to the day after Chisholm's presidential campaign.

In popular culture

Actress Uzo Aduba portrayed Chisholm in the FX on Hulu miniseries Mrs. America, released in April 2020, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series.

In November 2020, Danai Gurira was cast as Shirley Chisholm in The Fighting Shirley Chisholm, directed by Cherien Dabis, about her 1972 run for president. However, as of 2024, the film had not appeared,

Another film, Shirley, was announced in February 2021, with Regina King as Chisholm and John Ridley directing. Also announced in the cast were Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Amirah Vahn, André Holland, Christina Jackson, Michael Cherrie, Dorian Missick, W. Earl Brown and Terrence Howard. Shirley was released on Netflix in March 2024.

Chisholm was also heavily featured in Mel Brooks's 2023 satirical television series History of the World, Part II, played by Wanda Sykes. Segments throughout the series loosely detailed Chisholm's presidential bid stylized as episodes of Shirley!, a fictional 1970s sitcom. The episodes "starred" other members of Chisholm's family and friends, including Conrad Chisholm (Colton Dunn), Florynce Kennedy (Kym Whitley) and Ruby Seale (Marla Gibbs).

The rapper Biz Markie mentioned Chisholm in his popular 1988 song Nobody Beats the Biz. The lyrics: "Reagan is the Pres, but I voted for Shirley Chisholm", introduced many young listeners to Shirley Chisholm. The six minute overture But I Voted for Shirley Chisholm by David Hearne was commissioned by the Brooklyn Philharmonic in 2012. It integrates samples from Biz Markie's song "Nobody beats the biz" which include the following lyrics: "Make you co-operate with the rhythm / that is what I give 'em / Reagan is the Prez' but I voted for Shirley Chisholm." Additional artists have used this lyric, including Redman and Method Man in 1999 ("Clinton is the president, I still voted for Shirley Chisholm") and LL Cool J in 2006 ("George Bush is the Prez, but I voted for Shirley Chisholm").

Honors and awards

American honors

Congressional Gold Medal (posthumously awarded) by the Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act, signed by President Joe Biden – December 2024.
Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumously awarded) by President Barack Obama at a ceremony in the White House. – November 2015.
William L. Dawson Award by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation– 1982.

Honorary degrees

In 1974, Chisholm was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Aquinas College and was their commencement speaker.
In 1975, Chisholm was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Smith College.
In 1981, Chisholm was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Mount Holyoke College.
In 1996, Chisholm was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree by Stetson University, in Deland, Florida.

Other recognition

thumb|USPS Shirley A. Chisholm Station at 1915 Fulton Street (2025)

In 1991, Chisholm was the commencement speaker at East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, where she received the first-ever conferred honorary doctorate from the university. An annual ESU student award was created in her honor.
In 1993, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante included Shirley Chisholm on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans.
The Stuyvesant U.S. Post Office Station at 1915 Fulton Street was renamed "Shirley A. Chisholm Station" on August 2, 2005, after the renaming legislation passed the U.S. House and Senate earlier that year.
On January 31, 2014, the Shirley Chisholm Forever Stamp was issued. It is the 37th stamp in the Black Heritage series of U.S. stamps.
The Shirley Chisholm Living-Learning Community at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts is a residential hall floor in which students of African descent can choose to live.

Books

Books by Chisholm

Chisholm, Shirley, Zinga A. Fraser (Editor) (2024) Shirley Chisholm in Her Own Words: Speeches and Writings, University of California Press,

Books for children

Williams, Alicia D. Illustrated by Harrison, April (2021) Shirley Chisholm Dared: The Story of the First Black Woman in Congress, Penguin Random House,
Brownmiller, Susan.(1971) Shirley Chisholm: A Biography. Doubleday.
Starks, Glenn L., Brooks, F. Erik (2024) A Seat at the Table: The Life and Times of Shirley Chisholm, Lawrence Hill Books,
Hicks, Nancy.(1971) The Honorable Shirley Chisholm, Congresswoman from Brooklyn., Lion Books,

Books for adults

Winslow, Barbara (2014) Shirley Chisholm : Catalyst for Change, 1926-2005. Westview Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.
Curwood, Anastasia (2023) Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics, University of North Carolina Press,

Explanatory notes

Citations

General and cited references

Attribution<br />

External links

Finding Aid for the Shirley Chisholm '72 Collection held by the Brooklyn College Library Archives and Special Collections
Shirley Chisholm's oral history Video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project
Shirley Chisholm at the National Women's History Museum

Chisholm speech on the Equal Rights Amendment
Chisholm '72 – Unbought & Unbossed PBS American Documentary | POV documentary by Shola Lynch
Chisholm '72 – Unbought & Unbossed Women Make Movies documentary by Shola Lynch
Feature on Shirley Chisholm, with writing from Gloria Steinem and video clips from Chisholm '72 Unbought & Unbossed, by the International Museum of Women.