SHIRLEY CHISHOLM FACTS

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm took a great step forward in the fight against discrimination based on race and gender when she became the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. While serving in Congress she became a champion of the under-privileged fighting for legislation that would combat discrimination against black people and women and that would provide the opportunity for the poor to improve the quality of their lives. On this page you will find a list of interesting facts about this famous black woman in history. Information includes where she was born, who she helped, and how she fought discrimination. Both kids writing Black History Month papers and adults should find this concise information helpful.

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Shirley Chisholm Early Years Facts

Shirley Anita St. Hill (Shirley Chisholm) was born on November 30th of 1924 in Brooklyn, New York.
She married Conrad O. Chisholm in 1949. They divorced in 1977; later in 1977 she got re-married to Arthur Hardwick, Jr. She never had any children.
In 1952 she received a degree in elementary education from Teachers College at Columbia University.
Shirley Chisholm had an extensive background in education, she started by teaching in nursery schools and moved on to becoming a nursery school director followed by becoming an educational consultant for the Division of Day Care. This background gave her important experience regarding education which would be a focus of hers as a politician.
She served on the New York State Assembly from 1965 to 1968. While serving on the New York State Assembly she was instrumental in passing legislation that extended unemployment benefits to domestic workers and sponsored the SEEK program (Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge). The SEEK Program helped disadvantaged students get into college while getting remedial education.

Shirley Chisholm U.S. Congress Facts

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress.
She served in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 3rd 1969 through January 3rd 1983 representing New York's 12th congressional district as a member of the Democratic Party.
In 1971 she helped found the Congressional Black Caucus, which is an organization representing the black members of the U.S Congress.
In 1971 Chisholm was a founding member of the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC). This organization was created to support women seeking political positions.
While campaigning for the U.S. Congress her slogan was "Unbought and unbossed".
As a representative in the U.S. Congress she supported legislation for increased spending on education and social services.
While in Congress she served on the Education and Labor Committee, helped expand the food stamp program, was involved in organizing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and served as Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus.
In 1972 she made an unsuccessful bid to be the Democratic Party's presidential candidate.
She retired from the U.S. Congress in 1982 in order to take care of her husband who had been seriously injured in an automobile accident.

Shirley Chisholm Later Years

An interesting fact is that Shirley Chisholm stated that during her legislative career she faced more discrimination due to her gender than due to her race.
After leaving Congress she went back to a career in education; teaching various classes at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.
Shirley Chisholm died on January 1st of 2005, after having several strokes. She was laid to rest in Buffalo, New York at the Forest Lawn Cemetery.
A famous quote of Shirley Chisholm is "The black man must step forward, but that doesn't mean the black woman must step back."