Chisholm, << CHIHZ uhm, >> Shirley (1924-2005), became the first African American woman to serve in the United States Congress. Chisholm, a New York Democrat, was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1983. She served in the New York State Assembly from 1964 to 1968. Chisholm campaigned for, but did not win, the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination. She was the first African American and the first woman to run for president from a major party.
Chisholm worked for the reform of U.S. political parties and legislatures to meet the needs of more citizens. She was a severe critic of the seniority system in Congress and protested her 1969 assignment to the House Agriculture Committee. She won reassignment to a committee on which she felt she could be of greater service to her Brooklyn inner-city district.
Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm was born on Nov. 30, 1924, in the Brooklyn section of New York City. She graduated from Brooklyn College and earned a master’s degree at Columbia University. She taught preschool and directed day-care centers in New York City. From 1959 to 1964, Chisholm was a consultant for the city’s Bureau of Child Welfare. She wrote two autobiographies: Unbought and Unbossed (1970) and The Good Fight (1973). Chisholm died on Jan. 1, 2005.
