In 1968, she became the first black woman elected to the United States Congress, and she represented New York's 12th congressional district for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In 1972, she became the first black candidate for a major party's nomination for President of the United States, and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, as well as the first woman to appear in a United States presidential debate.
In 2015, Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
| Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus | |
|---|---|
| In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1981 |
|
| Leader | Tip O'Neill |
| Preceded by | Patsy Mink |
| Succeeded by | Geraldine Ferraro |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 12th district | |
| In office January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1983 |
|
| Preceded by | Edna Kelly |
| Succeeded by | Major Owens |
| Member of the New York State Assembly | |
| In office January 1, 1965 – December 31, 1968 |
|
| Preceded by | Thomas Jones |
| Succeeded by | Thomas R. Fortune |
| Constituency | 17th district (1965) 45th district (1966) 55th district (1967–1968) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Shirley Anita St. Hill November 30, 1924 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 1, 2005 (aged 80) Ormond Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Conrad Chisholm (m. 1949; div. 1977) Arthur Hardwick, Jr.(m. 1977; his death 1986) |
| Education | Brooklyn College (BA) Columbia University (MA) |
Her successes in the legislature included getting unemployment benefits extended to domestic workers. She also sponsored the introduction of a SEEK program (Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge) to the state, which provided disadvantaged students the chance to enter college while receiving intensive remedial education.
In 1984, The National Black Women's Political Caucus was established during the presidential campaign of Geraldine Ferraro. African American women from various political organizations convened to set forth a political agenda emphasizing the needs of women of African descent. Chisholm was chosen as its first chair.
In February 2005, Shirley Chisholm '72: Unbought and Unbossed, a documentary film, aired on U.S public television. It chronicled Chisholm's 1972 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. It was directed and produced by independent African-American filmmaker Shola Lynch. The film was featured at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. On April 9, 2006, the film was announced as a winner of a Peabody Award.
Chisholm's speech "For the Equal Rights Amendment", given in 1970, is listed as No. 91 in American Rhetoric's Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century (listed by rank).Top 100 Speeches by WOMEN