Shirley Chisholm
Sign in to savefirst black woman elected to the United States Congress (1924-2005)
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Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, serving from 1968 onward. Her historic election broke significant barriers and opened doors for women and people of color in American politics.
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Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1924
- Died
- 2005
- Works
- 4
Top works
- The 51% minority
- What If I Am A Woman? - Volume Two
- Unbought and unbossed
- The good fight
- Unbought and unbossed
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Shirley Anita Chisholm (née St. Hill; 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…
Known for
- One to One: John & Yoko — Self (archive footage)2025
- A Seat at the Table - The Making of Buffalo's Shirley Chisholm Statue2025
- 37 Words — Self (archive footage)2022
- History 101 — Self (archive footage)2020
- Explained — Self (archive footage)2018
Article
Shirley Anita Chisholm (/ˈtʃɪzəm/ CHIZ-əm; née St. Hill; 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.
Gallery (11)
Connections
Categories
1924 births2005 deaths20th-century African-American politicians20th-century African-American women politicians20th-century American educators20th-century American women educators20th-century American women politicians20th-century American women writers20th-century American writers20th-century members of the New York State Legislature20th-century United States representatives