A Day for Shirley Chisholm

By Dr. Julianne Malveaux —

November 30 is Shirley Chisholm Day in New York, and it’s about time New York the nation, and indeed the world celebrates this Black woman, the first to be elected to Congress in 1969, just five years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Sh9irleyb Chisholm was the first Black woman to run for President in 1972. Imagine the racism and sexism she encountered. But it didn’t stop her! She competed in just twelve primaries, as the good old boys worked to prevent her ballot access. Yet she amassed 152 delegates, around ten percent of the total.

As a member of Congress, Shirley Chisholm authored about fifty pieces of legislation, mostly around race and gender equality, children, poverty, and ending the war in Vietnam. Her boldness was an inspiration for women like former New Jersey Secretary of State Regina Thomas and retiring Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who cast the lone vote against our war in Afghanistan. If there were no Shirley Chisholm, there would be no Vice President Kamala Harris, whose own Presidential campaign reminds us of Chisholm.

Shirley Chisholm was not only a legislator, representing Brooklyn, she was also an educator and activist. She earned a master’s degree in early childhood education from Columbia University, and that educational background gave her a heart for our children. Committed to women’s equal participation in politics she was, in 1971, a cofounder of the National Women’s Political Caucus. In 1977, she became the first Black woman, and only the second woman, to serve on the House Rules committee.

Her contributions are numerous, her impact legendary. She was awarded a posthumous Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2015. She is an icon for many, especially for Black women, but for too many she is either unknown or forgotten. The sister who described herself as “unbought and unbossed” deserves a lot more recognition than the November 30 festivities, and the day reminds us of the many unsung heroines in our society. It is unfortunate that even in these days of “Black girl magic” we deify men and often ignore Black women.

I don’t know why Ne3w York chose to lift Shirley Chisholm up this November 30. Perhaps it is because she embodies the kind of audacity we need in these times. When asked how she wanted to be remembered, she said, “I want to be remembered as a woman who dared to be a catalyst.” Dared. Catalyst. Audacious words for an audacious woman. And there are so many more than we need to remember, such as Dr. LaFrances Rogers Rose, a scholar who made her transition on November 10. The pioneering leader founded the International Congress of Black Women, was a champion for Black women scholars, and a selfless encourager of others. Like Chisholm, she had audacity.

We don’t have to go to the past, or even to the ancestors to find Chisholm-like women, because they are all around us. Consider, for example, LaTosha Brown, founder of Black Voters Matter. Or Barbara Arnwine, founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, or Melanie Campbell convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable. So many sisters making a difference, a difference needed now more than ever.

Exceptional audacity is needed during these times. Too many are choosing caution, apprehensive about what the incoming President might do about our rights, our health, and our environment. Too many government workers, many who ae Black women, are tiptoeing because the Orange Man has threatened to “streamline” the federal workforce. We need more who, like Chisholm, dare to speak up an speak out.

I’m so glad that New York City chose to honor Shirley Anita Chisholm with a day of her own. While she certainly deserves the day to herself, I’ll think of it as Black Women’s Audacity Day in honor of all of those who, like Chisholm, are catalysts for change.