Shirley was born to immigrant parents in one of the poorest communities in New York City during the Great Depression.
Despite life challenges she went on to graduate from Brooklyn College and earned her Masters degree in elementary education from Columbia University.
BEFORE the ASCENSION
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BEFORE the NORTH STAR
Shirley kicked off her political career when she campaigned for Lewis Flagg Jr. to become Brooklyn’s first Black judge, which led to her involvement in the Belford-Stuyvesant Political League, a group that fought for economic empowerment and civil rights.
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BEFORE becoming ETERNAL
She used her experiences in Brooklyn’s political scene to successfully run for the New York State Assembly.
In this role she achieved granting domestic workers unemployment benefits and created a program that gave underprivileged students the opportunity to attend college while taking remedial education classes.
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ASCENSION
Shirley boldly ran for the seat in New York’s 12th congressional district in 1968 and won using the campaign motto “Unbought and Unbossed”. She became the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
It was during her term as a congresswoman that Shirley launched her 1972 bid for President of the United States and became the first Black person to seek nomination from one of the two major parties.
She used her platform to focus on racial and gender equity, elevating those issues to the national stage.
NORTH STAR
Shirley Co-Founded the National Congress of Black Women. An organization dedicated to the educational, political, economic and cultural development of African American Women and their families.
ETERNAL
Shirley Chisholm’s life reminds us all that determination and courage can break down barriers and pave the way for future generations.
Her message to young people was simple yet profound: "You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas."
IMPACT