If you thought that Hillary Rodham Clinton was the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, you would be wrong. That honor actually goes to a Black woman: Shirley Chisholm. Born as Shirley Anita St. Hill to immigrant parents on November 30, 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, she always embraced her heritage and considered herself to be a Barbadian American. Shirley was a leader at an early age and excelled in her academics. After receiving a scholarship to Brooklyn College, she would eventually earn a master's degree in education from Columbia University. Shirley was considered an expert on early childhood education and worked as a consultant to New York City's Bureau of Child Welfare from 1959-1964. Shirley stepped into politics in 1968, becoming the first Black woman to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1972, she declared her candidacy for the office of President of the United States; the first Black and the first woman to make that bid! Even after her retirement from Congress in 1983, Shirley used her gifts as an educator and an advocate. She taught at Mount Holyoke College and continued to speak out against the Vietnam War. Throughout her life, she helped with causes to improve living conditions for the poor and disadvantaged. Shirley Chisholm passed way on January 1, 2005. You can learn more about Shirley Chisholm by reading her autobiography: "Unbought and Unbossed" and by watching the film SHIRLEY, premiering on Netflix on March 22, 2024.
