Shirley Anita Chisholm 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, centered in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, for seven terms from 1969 to 1983.
She made history in 1972 by becoming the first woman to seek the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination and the first black candidate for the US presidency.
She was well-known for her career for taking “a resolute stand against economic, social, and political injustices” and for tirelessly fighting for women’s and black civil rights.
What happened to Shirley Chisholm?
In 2005, she passed away following multiple strokes.
At the time, her former staffer, William Howard, said she died at her home in Ormond Beach, Florida. Shirley stated, “I live a very quiet life,” in an interview. She mentioned that she read biographies, specifically political biographies.
She stated that she did not want to be remembered as “the nation’s first black congresswoman” or, in her own words, “the first black woman congressman” when she departed Washington. She stated, “I want them to say that Shirley Chisholm had guts.
What were Shirley Chisholm’s biggest accomplishments?
Shirley has won numerous awards, but here we will discuss her biggest achievements.
Chisholm ran for U.S. Congress in 1968 after a court-mandated reapportionment plan redrew the lines of the 12th congressional district to focus on the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. She became the first African American woman elected to Congress as a result of her victory.
On January 25, 1972, Chisholm announced her intention to run for president of the United States, exactly four years later.
Being the first black woman to seek the presidential nomination from one of the two major political parties, her bid for the nation’s highest office was historic.
For her historic campaign, Chisholm ran under the slogan “unbought and unbossed.”
The Influential Shirley Chisholm Legacy
Netflix is now offering the inspirational biopic Shirley for streaming. You may be wondering if Shirley is based on a true story as you watch it.
Shirley stars Oscar-winning actress Regina King as Shirley Chisholm, the first black congresswoman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first black candidate to seek a major party’s nomination in 1972.
The film chronicles Chisholm’s historic bid for president as she overcomes bigotry and misogyny.
The movie also looks at Shirley’s relationship with Black Panther Party member Muriel St. Hill, played by Regina’s real-life sister Reina King, and her conflict with George Wallace, the segregationist governor of Alabama.
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