Shirley Anita Chisholm

Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to Congress. Chisholm represented New York’s 12th District from 1968 to 1982 (91st-97th Congresses). She served on the Education and Labor, Rules, and Veterans Affairs committees. During her fifteen years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Chisholm was known for her strong liberal views, including her opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and her advocacy of full-employment programs. She also earned praise for her efforts on behalf of Black colleges, compulsory education, and minimum wage. In 1972, Chisholm became the first African American woman to run for the presidency. Before her election to Congress, Chisholm worked as a teacher and school director and was elected as a delegate of the New York State Assembly in 1964. After leaving Congress, Chisholm co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women in 1984 and worked vigorously for the presidential campaigns of Jesse Jackson in 1984 and 1988. Chisholm authored two books, Unbought and Unbossed (1970) and The Good Fight (1973). She also served as Purington Chair at Massachusetts’ Mount Holyoke College, where she taught politics and women’s studies after serving in Congress. In 1985, Chisholm was a visiting scholar at Spelman College. In 1987, she retired from teaching. She received her bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College and a master’s degree in elementary education from Teachers College, Columbia University.