Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1924 to immigrant parents. The eldest of four daughters, Chisholm grew up spending time in both Brooklyn and Barbados. She would graduate from Brooklyn College in 1946 and later from Columbia University with a Masters degree in 1951. While her degrees were in early childhood education, her call toward activism would lead her down a different path.
In 1964 Chisholm would become only the second Black person elected to the New York Legislature. Five years later, on January 21st, 1969, she became the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress.
During her tenure in congress, Chisholm would go on to have committee assignments involving expanding the food stamps program and creating the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). She also introduced legislation that focused on racial and gender equality.
In 1971, Chisholm was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which was created to focus on legislation and policy work that had a special interest in ensuring equal rights, opportunities, and access to Black Americans and other marginalized communities.
In 1972, Chisholm became the first Black woman to seek the Democratic party’s presidential nomination. While her bid for presidency did not result in a win, she paved the way for future generations of Black Americans and marginalized groups to have the courage to run for political office.
On the 55th anniversary of her congressional induction, we remember Shirley Chisholm’s legacy of championing the rights of marginalized people in the United States and her undeniable impact on the landscape of our society today.
