Shirley Chisholm

1924 - 2005

Shirley Anita St. Hill (later known as Shirley Chisholm), was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York where she lived with her parents and four sisters. In 1946 she graduated Cum Laude from Brooklyn College with prizes from her experience on the debate team. While working as a nursery school teacher, she earned a Masters in Early Childhood Education from Columbia University.

Following graduation, Shirley became a consultant for the New York City Division of DayCare. She also joined local chapters of the League of Women Voters, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Urban League, and the Democratic Party club in Brooklyn. In 1964, Shirley campaigned and won a seat in the New York State Legislature.

In 1968, Shirley won her congressional race and became the first African American woman in Congress. She championed gender and racial equality legislation and co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus in 1971. In 1972 Shirley became the first woman and African American to run for president with a major political party. After retiring from Congress in 1983, Shirley taught at Mount Holyoke College and co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women.