More than fifty years ago, Shirley Chisholm pushed the boundaries of what America thought possible, becoming the first Black woman to run for President. Today, her legacy stands as the foundation for Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. This legacy is a testament that, while America may never truly be “ready” for those who shatter barriers, progress moves forward, driven by persistence and hope.
Who is Shirley Chisholm?
Somebody had to get it started.
Shirley Anita St. Hill was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 30, 1924, to immigrant parents from Barbados and Guyana. She was the eldest of four daughters, raised by a factory worker and a seamstress. Shirley spent part of her childhood in Barbados with her maternal grandmother before returning to New York at 10. She graduated from Brooklyn Girls’ High and later, in 1946, cum laude from Brooklyn College.
In 1949, she married Conrad Q. Chisholm, a private investigator. Despite encouragement from her professors to pursue politics, Shirley began her career as a nursery school teacher. In 1951, she earned her Master’s degree in early childhood education from Columbia University. This background would ultimately shape her political focus.
The First Black Woman in Congress
In 1968, Shirley Chisholm made history as the first Black woman elected to Congress, representing New York’s 12th district. Despite her historic achievement, she encountered opposition from her peers on Capitol Hill. Initially assigned to the Agriculture Committee—a poor fit for her Brooklyn-based constituency—she took the opportunity to advocate for the underserved. She turned her assignment into a victory, championing what would become the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition program to support low-income families.
Unbought and Unbossed: Shirley Chisholm for President
In 1972, Chisholm declared her candidacy for President, running under the campaign slogan, “Unbought and Unbossed.” Her campaign faced countless challenges. She had limited funding and struggled to gain support from Black male colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus. Even the National Women’s Political Caucus, an organization she helped establish, withheld its endorsement. Barred from televised primary debates, Chisholm had to take legal action to secure a single televised speech.
What’s wrong with my running for president of this country? After all, for 15 years, I have been a ghostwriter for a lot of them.
Although she didn’t win the White House, Chisholm’s platform was visionary. She advocated for reproductive justice and abortion rights, equitable education for Black youth, and a subsidized national day care system. Her campaign spotlighted issues that still resonate today.
After Her Presidential Run
Following her presidential bid, Chisholm continued serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, holding her seat for seven terms until her retirement in 1983. She later became a professor at Mount Holyoke College, where she inspired a new generation of students with her commitment to social justice, liberal politics, and reproductive freedom for African American women. Chisholm passed away in 2005, yet her legacy remains vibrant.
Posthumous Acknowledgments
In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Shirley Chisholm the Presidential Medal of Freedom, honoring her as a trailblazer in American politics. In recent years, her story has reached new audiences. Uzo Aduba portrayed Chisholm in the series Mrs. America, and Regina King starred in and produced the 2024 film Shirley, further solidifying her place in history.
In a 2019 interview, Kamala Harris reflected on the foundation Chisholm laid, acknowledging her as a profound source of inspiration. “I stand on her shoulders,” Harris said.
Her strength as an individual, as a woman, as a Black woman, was so powerful and resonated in such an incredible way that even today, 50 years later, we feel what she did and who she was
Kamala Harris and Shirley Chisholm: A Legacy We Carry Forward
As we move into the next four years, many of us feel the weight of racism and misogyny. We know that progress doesn’t come without resistance, and the path forward can be painfully slow. But Chisholm’s legacy reminds us the of the power that comes from persistence. She showed us that even when the world isn’t ready, we can still push forward, claim space, and lay foundations for the future.
Kamala Harris, like Chisholm before her, has shown us what’s possible. Together, these women remind us that the work isn’t over, and the dream is still alive. To my Free Black Femmes, know that we carry Chisholm’s torch. We honor her whenever we show up, speak out, and build each other up. The road may be long, but our hope is resilient, and there’s power in community.
