Women's History Month Spotlight: Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm

In honor of Women's History Month, I wanted to write a piece about a woman who made history when - in 1968 - became the first African-American woman elected to the United State Congress.  Below is a biographical sketch of Congresswoman Chisholm, her work and her accomplishments. Enjoy!

Born Shirley Anita St. Hill, Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, New York to immigrant parents. She is an alumna of Girls' High School, earned her BA from Brooklyn College in 1946 and earned her MA from the Teachers College at Columbia University in Elementary Education in 1952. 

In 1964, Chisholm ran for and was elected to the New York State Legislature. In 1968, she ran as the Democratic candidate for New York's 12th District congressional seat, and was elected to the House of Representatives. 

In the 1972 U.S. presidential election, she made a bid for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. She survived three assassination attempts during the campaign. She campaigned in 12 states and won the Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey primaries earning 152 delegates. 

Chishom's base of support was ethnically diverse and included the National Organization for Women. Chisholm said she ran for the office "in spite of hopeless odds...to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to accept the status quo."

Among volunteers who were inspired by her campaign was Barbara Lee, who continued to be politically active and was elected as a congresswoman 25 years later. 

From 1977 to 1981, during the 95th and 96th Congress, Chisholm was elected to a position in the House Democratic leadership, as Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus. 

Throughout her tenure in Congress, Chisholm worked to improve opportunities for inner-city residents. She was a vocal opponent of the draft and supported spending increases for education, health care and other social services and reductions in military spending. 

Chisholm's honors and awards include receiving an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Smith College in 1975, being inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993 and having a Forever Stamp issued in her name this year. To learn more about Shriley Chisholm, her story and her journey, purchase a copy of her book Unbought and Unbossed today. You can also view a trailer to the corresponding film below.