Democracy for New Mexico

Shirley Chisholm, R.I.P.

Shirley Chisholm, who passed away Saturday, was such a sassy heroine to my friends and me back in the 1970s, when feminism was in resurgence after the deathly conformity of the 50s and early 60s, and we had a bold and brassy African-American woman in the Congress and running for president. That's Shirley with sister firebrand Bella Abzug in the photo above. If you're too young to remember Shirley, or if you've forgotten what a strong presence she was on the national scene, here's a commentary on her accomplishments and daring deeds. I think we can benefit from pondering Ms. Chisholm and her spunk as we return from the holidays to confront the political barricades of our own time:

From ms.musings:

Shirley Chisholm: Unbought and Unbossed

"My greatest political asset, which professional politicians fear, is my mouth, out of which come all kinds of things one shouldn't always discuss for reasons of political expediency.”

Shirley Chisholm died Saturday at the age of 80. The first black woman elected to Congress, she was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a presidential candidate in 1972. From The New York Times obituary:

In 1972, when she entered the presidential primaries, she did not expect to capture the Democratic nomination, which ultimately went to George S. McGovern. "Some see my candidacy as an alternate and others as symbolic or a move to make other candidates start addressing themselves to real issues," she said at the time. She did not win a single primary, but in 2002, she said her campaign had been a necessary "catalyst for change."

She was also aware of her status as a woman in politics. "I've always met more discrimination being a woman than being black," she told The Associated Press in December 1982, shortly before she left Washington to teach at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. "When I ran for the Congress, when I ran for president, I met more discrimination as a woman than for being black. Men are men."

A documentary about her political life -- Chisholm '72: Unbought and Unbossed -- made its debut at Sundance last year. It will be shown on television in February as part of PBS’ POV series. Visit the PBS website for more information.

"Women have learned to flex their political muscles. You got to flex that muscle to get what you want," Chisholm said during her presidential campaign, according to the Washington Post.

An expert on early childhood education, Chisholm worked as the director of a daycare center after receiving her master’s from Columbia University. When she was elected to Congress, she protested her appointment to the House Agriculture Committee.

"Apparently all they know here in Washington about Brooklyn is that a tree grew there," she said. "Only nine black people have been elected to Congress, and those nine should be used as effectively as possible."

She was later reassigned to the Education and Labor Committees. Throughout her career, Chisholm was a tireless advocate of women’s rights and public policy initiatives that would benefit the poor. She fought for unemployment insurance for domestic workers and childcare providers, as well as college funds for low-income students. From the Times:

When she left Washington, she said she did not want to go down in history as "the nation's first black congresswoman" or, as she put it, "the first black woman congressman."

"I'd like them to say that Shirley Chisholm had guts," she said. "That's how I'd like to be remembered."

Here’s the text of a speech Chisholm delivered on the floor of the House in 1970, arguing in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment. Michigan State University has an inventory of audio recordings, some of which are available as mp3 files, including Chisholm discussing in 1974 why she ran for president.