The Honorable Shirley A. Chisholm: First Black Woman to Run for President of the U.S.
The Honorable Shirley A. Chisholm
Years before Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an effort to break the glass ceiling of the highest office in the land, the president of the United States and before the historic campaign of Kamala Harris, there was another woman who laid the foundation for the ceiling to crack. Her name was Shirley Anita Chisholm. She was born on November 30, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York, one of four daughters of Charles and Ruby St. Hill who were from the West Indies. Her father was an unskilled laborer and her mother was a seamstress. Their primary goal was to see that their children received a good education. Shirley’s early heroines were Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony.
Shirley Chisholm entered college and earned a B.A. degree, cum laude in 1946 and later an M.A. Degree from Columbia University. She became a teacher and an authority on early childhood education. She became involved in community issues and entered politics. She entered the New York State Assembly and without the blessings of the Democratic party she was elected to the New York State Assembly becoming the first Black woman in that position. In 1964, her aspirations in politics took a different turn. She ran for the U.S. Congress and was elected, becoming the first Black woman to do so. Despite Republican challenges she prevailed and on November 5, 1968, she was elected to the 91st Congress from Brooklyn making her the first black woman to serve. She was one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus. In the film called: “Unbought and Unbossed, “she stated that the white Congressmen gave her a hard time because of her race and gender and resentment that she was making as much as they made. They questioned her qualifications for the job. She worked hard during her time in Congress and took a stand against social and political injustice. However, she ignored the comments and kept on doing her job.
Shirley Chisholm championed the rights of the underserved. She made a decision in 1970, to run for president of the United States. She stated the following, “I declare myself a candidate for President of the United States of America.” While she did not win the nomination, she made an impressive showing. In her book called “The Good Fight,” she explained why she ran for the Presidency with these words: “I ran for the Presidency in order to crack a little more of the ice which has congealed to nearly immobilize our political system and demoralize people. I ran for for the Presidency, despite hopeless odds, to demonstrate sheer will and a refusal to accept the status quo.” She also wrote that, “my goal was to shake things up a little. I think I made a dent or two, time will tell.”
After her run in politics, She went back to teaching. She taught at hundreds of colleges across the county including here in Buffalo, New York, she lectured at Buffalo State College in a series on numerous topics including climate change, education, business, women’s rights, enslavement and its effect on Black people, women in literature and art. She visited Buffalo during political campaigns and marched with other candidates helping them to get their message out to the public. She spoke at the Buffalo Convention to a diverse audience often speaking in fluent Spanish.
Shirley Chisholm was married to a Buffalo businessmen name Arthur Hardwick. They lived in Western New York for a time. At the end of her life, when she experienced health problems, she moved to Florida. The Honorable Shirley Chisholm is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Her gravesite is engraved with the words from her autobiography: “Unbought and Unbossed.”