SHIRLEY CHISHOLM
Name: Shirley Chisholm
Born: 30 November 1924 Brooklyn, New York
Died: 1 January 2005 Florida
Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm (November 30, 1924 - January 1, 2005) was an
American politician, educator and author. She was a Congresswoman,
representing New York's 12th District for seven terms from 1968 to 1983. In 1968,
she became the first African American woman elected to Congress. On January 23,
1972, she became the first major party African American candidate for President
of the United States. She won 152 delegates. Other women who ran for
President of the United States in 1972 include Linda Jenness and Evelyn Reed.
Shirley Anita St. Hill was born in Brooklyn in 1924 of immigrant parents. Her
father was born in British Guiana and her mother was Ruby Seale of Barbados. At
age three, Shirley was sent to Barbados to live with her grandmother, and did
not return to the U.S. for seven years. 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.
She had a degree in elementary education from Teachers College, Columbia
University. From 1953 to 1959, she was director of the Hamilton-Madison Child
Care Center, and from 1959 to 1964, was an educational consultant for the
Division of Day Care.
Chisholm was married to Conrad Chisholm from 1949 to 1977. Upon their divorce,
she married Arthur Hardwick, Jr., who died in 1986.
Shirley Chisholm was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. In 1993, she
was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Chisholm also authored two
books, Unbought and Unbossed (1970) and The Good Fight (1973).
In 1964, Chisholm ran for and was elected to the New York State Legislature. She
then ran as the Democratic candidate for New York's 12th District congressional
seat and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1968, defeating
Republican candidate James Farmer and becoming the first African-American woman
elected to Congress.
As a freshman, Chisholm was assigned to the House Agricultural Committee. Given
her urban district, she felt the placement was a waste of time and shocked many
by demanding reassignment. She was then placed on the Veterans' Affairs
Committee. Soon after, she voted for Hale Boggs as House Majority Leader over
John Conyers. As a reward for her support, Boggs assigned her to the much-prized
Education and Labor Committee; she was the third-highest ranking member when she
retired.
Chisholm joined the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969, as one of its founding
members. In 1972, she made a bid for the Democratic Party's presidential
nomination, receiving 152 delegate votes, but ultimately losing
the nomination to South Dakota Senator George McGovern. Chisholm's base of
support was ethnically diverse and included the National Organization for Women.
Among the volunteers who were inspired by her campaign was Barbara Lee, who
would go on to become a congresswoman some 25 years later. (Currently, Barbara
Lee has a couple of pieces of legislation that would honor Shirley Chisholm,
including H Con Res 9, calling on the US Postal Service to create a stamp
honoring her, and HR 176, which would create a program to encourage educational
exchanges between the US and Caribbean nations.) Chisholm said she ran for the
office
"in spite of hopeless odds, . . . to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to
accept the status quo."
Chisholm created controversy when she visited rival and ideological opposite
George Wallace in the hospital soon after his shooting in May 1972, during the
1972 presidential primary campaign. Several years later, when Chisholm worked on
a bill to give domestic workers the right to a minimum wage, Wallace got her the
votes of enough southern congressmen to push the legislation through the House.
Throughout her tenure in Congress, Chisholm would work to improve opportunities
for inner-city residents. She was a vocal opponent of the draft and supported
spending increases for education, healthcare and other social services, and
reductions in military spending. She announced her retirement from Congress in
1982, and was replaced by a fellow Democrat, Major Owens, in 1983. After leaving
Congress, Chisholm was named to the Purington Chair at Mount Holyoke College in
South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she taught for four years. She was also very
popular on the lecture circuit.
Chisholm retired to Florida and died on January 1, 2005. She is buried in Forest
Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo.
Name: Shirley Chisholm
Born: 30 November 1924 Brooklyn, New York
Died: 1 January 2005 Florida
Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm (November 30, 1924 - January 1, 2005) was an
American politician, educator and author. She was a Congresswoman,
representing New York's 12th District for seven terms from 1968 to 1983. In 1968,
she became the first African American woman elected to Congress. On January 23,
1972, she became the first major party African American candidate for President
of the United States. She won 152 delegates. Other women who ran for
President of the United States in 1972 include Linda Jenness and Evelyn Reed.
Shirley Anita St. Hill was born in Brooklyn in 1924 of immigrant parents. Her
father was born in British Guiana and her mother was Ruby Seale of Barbados. At
age three, Shirley was sent to Barbados to live with her grandmother, and did
not return to the U.S. for seven years. 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.
She had a degree in elementary education from Teachers College, Columbia
University. From 1953 to 1959, she was director of the Hamilton-Madison Child
Care Center, and from 1959 to 1964, was an educational consultant for the
Division of Day Care.
Chisholm was married to Conrad Chisholm from 1949 to 1977. Upon their divorce,
she married Arthur Hardwick, Jr., who died in 1986.
Shirley Chisholm was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. In 1993, she
was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Chisholm also authored two
books, Unbought and Unbossed (1970) and The Good Fight (1973).
In 1964, Chisholm ran for and was elected to the New York State Legislature. She
then ran as the Democratic candidate for New York's 12th District congressional
seat and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1968, defeating
Republican candidate James Farmer and becoming the first African-American woman
elected to Congress.
As a freshman, Chisholm was assigned to the House Agricultural Committee. Given
her urban district, she felt the placement was a waste of time and shocked many
by demanding reassignment. She was then placed on the Veterans' Affairs
Committee. Soon after, she voted for Hale Boggs as House Majority Leader over
John Conyers. As a reward for her support, Boggs assigned her to the much-prized
Education and Labor Committee; she was the third-highest ranking member when she
retired.
Chisholm joined the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969, as one of its founding
members. In 1972, she made a bid for the Democratic Party's presidential
nomination, receiving 152 delegate votes, but ultimately losing
the nomination to South Dakota Senator George McGovern. Chisholm's base of
support was ethnically diverse and included the National Organization for Women.
Among the volunteers who were inspired by her campaign was Barbara Lee, who
would go on to become a congresswoman some 25 years later. (Currently, Barbara
Lee has a couple of pieces of legislation that would honor Shirley Chisholm,
including H Con Res 9, calling on the US Postal Service to create a stamp
honoring her, and HR 176, which would create a program to encourage educational
exchanges between the US and Caribbean nations.) Chisholm said she ran for the
office
"in spite of hopeless odds, . . . to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to
accept the status quo."
Chisholm created controversy when she visited rival and ideological opposite
George Wallace in the hospital soon after his shooting in May 1972, during the
1972 presidential primary campaign. Several years later, when Chisholm worked on
a bill to give domestic workers the right to a minimum wage, Wallace got her the
votes of enough southern congressmen to push the legislation through the House.
Throughout her tenure in Congress, Chisholm would work to improve opportunities
for inner-city residents. She was a vocal opponent of the draft and supported
spending increases for education, healthcare and other social services, and
reductions in military spending. She announced her retirement from Congress in
1982, and was replaced by a fellow Democrat, Major Owens, in 1983. After leaving
Congress, Chisholm was named to the Purington Chair at Mount Holyoke College in
South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she taught for four years. She was also very
popular on the lecture circuit.
Chisholm retired to Florida and died on January 1, 2005. She is buried in Forest
Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo.