Paving the Way

Celebrating Shirley Chisholm, the woman who was unbought and unbossed

This week on the pod we were delighted to chat with Holli Holliday, one of the women behind the Zoom call with Win with Black Women that had over 44,000 participants in support of Vice President Harris’ presidential nomination. The amount of hope and sheer joy that the new Democratic ticket with Vice President Harris at the top has brought to politics is palpable. 

And we would be remiss if we did not also celebrate Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to campaign for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. She paved the way toward hope. 

(Artwork by Evita Tezeno)

Chisholm was born on November 30, 1924 in Brooklyn, NY to immigrants from Barbados and Guyana and was the oldest of four daughters. She graduated from Brooklyn Girls’ High in 1942 and from Brooklyn College cum laude in 1946, and earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in early childhood education in 1951. 

Although professors encouraged her to consider a political career, she replied that she faced a “double handicap” as both Black and female.

So she started her career in education, but as she became more aware of racial and gender inequality, she joined local chapters of the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, the Urban League, as well as her local Democratic Party club. 

Her political career started in 1964, when she ran for and became the second African American in the New York State Legislature. Then in 1968 Chisholm sought—and won—a seat in Congress. There, she introduced more than 50 pieces of legislation and championed racial and gender equality, the plight of the poor, and ending the Vietnam War. She was a co-founder of the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971, and in 1977 became the first Black woman and second woman ever to serve on the powerful House Rules Committee.

In 1972, when she campaigned for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, she used the slogan “Unbought and Unbossed.” 

Discrimination followed her quest and she was blocked from participating in televised primary debates, and after taking legal action, was permitted to make just one speech. She ended up losing the party’s nomination to anti-Vietnam War candidate Senator George McGovern. 

Remaining steadfast in her commitment as an advocate for poor, inner-city residents, Chisholm said, “I am and always will be a catalyst for change” and would go on to serve another 11 years in Congress.

Vice President Harris has said that she often draws her words and inspiration from Shirley Chisholm. 

In a February 2019 interview with the Grio, Harris said Chisholm was extraordinary, powerful and courageous. “She reminds me of the many sayings of my mother and that is, ‘Don’t let anybody tell you who you are. You tell them who you are.’ That was Shirely Chisholm, unbought and unbossed. I stand as so many of us do on her shoulders.”

We are grateful that “Fighting Shirley” paved the way for Vice President Harris to be named the Democratic nominee for president.