Shirley Chisholm was a pioneering Black American congresswoman and trailblazing presidential candidate who became a national symbol of political courage and representation.

Quick Scoop: Who Was Shirley Chisholm?

  • First Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress, winning a seat in 1968 and serving New York’s 12th District (Brooklyn) for seven terms from 1969 to 1983.
  • First Black person to seek a major-party U.S. presidential nomination and the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972.
  • Known for her motto “Unbought and Unbossed,” highlighting her independent stance against party bosses and special interests.
  • Fierce advocate for civil rights, women’s rights, anti-poverty programs, and peace, especially opposition to the Vietnam War and heavy military spending.
  • Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 for her historic contributions to American politics.

Early Life and Background

  • Born Shirley Anita St. Hill on November 30, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York, to Caribbean immigrant parents from Barbados and Guyana.
  • Spent part of her childhood in Barbados with her grandmother, then returned to Brooklyn, which shaped her strong Caribbean-American identity.
  • Graduated from Brooklyn College, then earned a master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, focusing on early childhood education.
  • Worked as a teacher and education consultant, becoming deeply involved in child care and education policy before entering electoral politics.

Political Firsts and Major Achievements

In New York and Congress

  • Elected to the New York State Assembly in 1964, becoming one of the first Black women to serve in that body.
  • In 1968, elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating civil-rights leader James Farmer.
  • Initially placed on the House Agriculture Committee, she pushed for more relevant assignments and still used that position to expand food stamp programs and help create WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children).
  • Co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus (1971) and was a key member of the emerging Black political leadership in Washington.

Presidential Run in 1972

  • Announced her 1972 Democratic presidential campaign as a candidate “of the people,” emphasizing that she represented marginalized communities, not just women or Black Americans.
  • Became the first Black candidate to seriously pursue a major-party presidential nomination and the first woman to seek the Democratic nomination.
  • Won an estimated 152 delegates at the Democratic convention—symbolically powerful even though she did not win the nomination.
  • Faced resistance not only from white political insiders but also from segments of the Black political establishment and some feminist leaders who doubted her viability, yet she used the campaign to push issues like racial justice, gender equality, and economic fairness into the national conversation.

What She Fought For

  • Strong civil rights and voting-rights protections for Black Americans and other minorities.
  • Women’s rights, including support for the Equal Rights Amendment and access to legal abortion.
  • Anti-poverty programs, including expansion of food stamps and the creation of WIC to ensure poor mothers and children had access to nutrition.
  • Full employment, better funding for education, and opposition to excessive military spending and the Vietnam War.

She also helped found or co-found:

  • National Women’s Political Caucus.
  • National Political Congress of Black Women.
  • National Organization for Women (early involvement noted in some accounts).

Later Life, Legacy, and Why She Still Matters

  • Retired from Congress in 1983 and went on to teach at Mount Holyoke College, while remaining active in speaking and organizing.
  • Nominated to be U.S. ambassador to Jamaica in 1993 but withdrew due to health issues.
  • Died on January 1, 2005, in Florida.
  • Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, cementing her status as a historic figure in U.S. democracy.

Today, Shirley Chisholm is often cited in discussions of:

  • Black women in politics and “firsts” in representation.
  • The roots of intersectional feminism and coalition politics within the Democratic Party.
  • Progressive challenges to party establishments, especially in presidential primaries.

One of her best-known lines: “Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth.”

TL;DR

Shirley Chisholm was a groundbreaking Black congresswoman from Brooklyn and the first Black person and first woman to mount a serious campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, known for her uncompromising stand on justice and her slogan “Unbought and Unbossed.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.