"Unbought & Unbossed" - Women's Republic

In honor of Black History month, it is important that we shed light on individuals who aren’t as omnipresent in our history books. One of such individuals is Shirley Chisholm.

On November 30, 1924, a political activist was born. Although Chisholm spent the earliest years of her life in Barbados, she later moved to the concrete jungle, where she would acquire a Bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College and a Master’s in elementary education from Colombia University. With a passion for reforming education and the dedication to serving her community, Chisholm started her altruistic career as a teacher.

As she became increasingly involved in politics, Shirley later became the director of the Hamilton-Madison child care center, where she would work until the late 1950s. As Chisholm became increasingly motivated to advocate for her community, she moved on to work as the education consultant for New York City’s Bureau of Child Welfare. As if this isn’t enough to give appraisal, Chisholm made history when she became the first black congresswoman. She served in Congress for seven years, where she worked her way up to becoming a key member of the Education and Labor Committee. Within these seven years, Chisholm additionally became a founder of the infamous Black Caucus.

Chisholm’s dedication to improving education for minority communities led her to aspire for a bigger change, beyond the scope of Congress. Shirley thus began campaigning for the biggest seat in politics- the presidency. She made history yet again as she became the first African American woman to run for the presidency. Although she failed to become a primary candidate, her previous dedication to change became a platform of inspiration to the female minority community.

Shirley Chisholm’s dedication to improving educational opportunities and her resilience to activate such change proves her to be a prominent figure in not only the black community but in the feminist community as well. In such times that demand an ongoing effort for activism, it is essential we shed light on prominent historical figures to relay a platform for future change.