Shirley Chisholm

You may have heard of the new Hulu miniseries, Mrs. America, that premiered yesterday. It tells the story of the conservative anti-feminist icon Phyllis Schlafly and her fight against the Equal Rights Amendment. Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan and Shirley Chisholm are other important women of the era portrayed in the series. I recognized Shirley Chisholm as one of the founders of the National Organization for Women, but I wanted to learn more about her story.

Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, New York, and spent part of her childhood living with her grandmother in Barbados. She graduated from Brooklyn College in 1946 and received a master's degree in elementary education from Columbia University in 1951. Chisholm went on to pursue an impressive political career. In 1968, she became the first African American congresswoman. During her seven terms in the House of Representatives she fought for women's and minority education and employment opportunities, then wrote about her experiences in her autobiography Unbossed and Unbought. She was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971 and the Congressional Women's Caucus in 1977.

Chisholm ran for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination and became the first African American and second woman to make a bid with a major party. Her candidacy earned support from famous feminists Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. Unfortunately, Chisholm was blocked from participating in televised primary debates due to discrimination. After taking legal action she was permitted to make only one speech. Chisholm lost the nomination to George McGovern because she was unable to earn the support of some influential black leaders. In spite of all these hardships, she proved herself to be a highly successful and capable candidate.

After retiring from politics, Chisholm returned to education. She died in 2005, and was posthumously awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Chisholm is an inspiring figure who broke many social barriers during her lifetime. She is often overlooked in history books, so perhaps this TV show will bring her more of the recognition she deserves.

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/shirley-chisholm
https://www.biography.com/political-figure/shirley-chisholm
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a32084046/shirley-chisholm-facts-mrs-america/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Chisholm