Magnify Your Knowledge: Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm made Black History as the first African American woman in Congress (1968) and the first to seek a presidential nomination from either of the two major political parties (1972). Her Brooklyn, NY, district resulted from a court-ordered redistricting, and Democratic Party leaders intended to send an African American to the House to represent it. Shirley Chisholm stepped up to fill the role. Chisholm served seven terms in the US House of Representatives, advocating for issues that impacted minority groups. Chisholm was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus (1971) and the Congressional Women’s Caucus (1977). In 1977, Representative Chisholm accepted a seat on the Rules Committee, becoming the first Black woman to serve on that powerful panel until she left Congress in 1983. To learn more about the impact of Representative Chisholm, visit the History of the US House of Representatives site highlighting her life and accomplishments.