When Shirley Chisholm walked onto the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in January 1969, she wasn't just there to take a seat. She was there to take over. Most history books give her a paragraph or two. They call her a "trailblazer" and move on. But honestly, that label is kinda lazy. It doesn't capture the sheer audacity of a woman who told the most powerful men in Washington to basically get out of her way. As the first African American woman in congress, Chisholm didn't just break a glass ceiling; she took a sledgehammer to the entire building.
She represented New York’s 12th District, but her impact hit every corner of the country. People forget how radical she actually was. This wasn't a polished career politician. She was a schoolteacher from Brooklyn with a sharp Bajan accent and a spine made of literal steel.
The "Unbought and Unbossed" Reality
You’ve likely seen her famous slogan: "Unbought and Unbossed." It wasn't just a catchy line for a campaign poster. It was a warning. When she arrived in D.C., the Democratic leadership tried to put her in her place. They assigned her to the House Agriculture Committee.
Think about that for a second.
She represented Bedford-Stuyvesant. Brooklyn. There isn't exactly a lot of farmland in Bed-Stuy. Chisholm knew they were trying to bury her in a committee where she couldn't help her urban constituents. Most freshmen would have kept their mouths shut. Not Shirley. She protested so loudly that she got reassigned to Veterans' Affairs, and later, the Education and Labor Committee. She knew where she belonged.
Why the 1972 Campaign Was Gritty, Not Just Symbolic
In 1972, she did the unthinkable. She ran for President.
People today look back at her 1972 run as this beautiful, symbolic moment. In reality? It was brutal. She was blocked from televised debates. She survived multiple assassination attempts. Even her own colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus—men she had helped lead—didn't all back her. They thought it wasn't "her time."
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She didn't care.
She raised about $300,000, which is peanuts for a national campaign. She traveled the "Chisholm Trail" with a staff mostly made of women. While the political elite laughed, she was winning delegates in states like California and New Jersey. By the time she got to the Democratic National Convention in Miami, she had 152 delegates. She proved that a Black woman could be a serious contender, not just a "protest candidate."
What the First African American Woman in Congress Actually Accomplished
Legacy is great, but let's talk about the receipts. Chisholm wasn't just a figurehead; she was a legislative powerhouse who focused on the "gut" issues of American life.
- WIC and Food Stamps: She was instrumental in creating the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). If you or someone you know has ever used WIC, you can thank Shirley.
- Minimum Wage for Domestic Workers: In 1974, she fought a massive battle to extend minimum wage protections to domestic workers. Before this, people—mostly women of color—working in private homes had almost no labor rights.
- The SEEK Program: Back in the New York State Assembly, she created the Search for Elevation, Education and Knowledge (SEEK) program, which helped underprivileged students get into college.
- Ending the Vietnam War: She was a fierce critic of military spending, famously saying she would vote against every defense appropriation bill until the money was redirected to social services.
She was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the National Women’s Political Caucus. She understood intersectionality before the word even existed. She knew that you couldn't separate race from gender, or gender from class.
The George Wallace Incident: Nuance Most People Miss
There’s a story about Chisholm that makes some modern activists uncomfortable. In 1972, George Wallace—the ultra-segregationist Governor of Alabama—was shot and paralyzed in an assassination attempt.
Shirley Chisholm visited him in the hospital.
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Her supporters were furious. Why would she show kindness to a man who stood in schoolhouse doors to keep Black children out? Chisholm’s logic was different. She said, "He’s a human being." She prayed with him.
Years later, when Chisholm was trying to pass the bill to give domestic workers a minimum wage, she needed Southern votes. George Wallace, remembered for his "segregation forever" speech, actually helped her get them. He told his Southern colleagues to support her bill. It’s a messy, complicated bit of history that shows she was a master of political maneuvering, not just a moralist.
The Double Handicap
Chisholm famously said that she met more discrimination in politics for being a woman than for being Black. "Men are men," she used to say. She faced a "double handicap," yet she used that unique position to see things others missed. She hired an all-female staff in her office. She advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment when it was considered political suicide.
She stayed in the House until 1983.
When she retired, she didn't just go away. She went to Mount Holyoke College and taught. She kept organizing. She was a catalyst. That’s how she wanted to be remembered. Not as the "first," but as someone who dared to be a catalyst for change.
How to Apply the "Chisholm Method" Today
If you’re looking to make an impact, don’t just look at her photo. Study how she moved.
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First, own your expertise. Chisholm was a teacher first. She used her deep knowledge of early childhood education to dominate debates on education policy. Don't let people talk you out of what you know.
Second, don’t wait for an invitation. No one asked Shirley to run for Congress or President. In fact, they told her not to. If she had waited for "permission," we’d still be waiting.
Third, prioritize the "forgotten" people. Her career was built on fighting for the people who didn't have lobbyists: domestic workers, immigrants, and kids in underfunded schools.
To truly honor the first African American woman in congress, you have to look beyond the history month posters. You have to look at the bills she passed and the fights she picked. She wasn't a "nice" lady who made history. She was a disruptor who understood that the system wasn't going to change itself. It had to be forced.
Start by looking into local grassroots organizations that focus on the issues she championed, like food security or childcare rights. Support candidates who aren't afraid to be "unbought." That is how the Chisholm Trail stays open.
Practical Next Steps for Advocates
- Read her words: Pick up Unbought and Unbossed or The Good Fight. Her original writing offers more tactical political advice than any modern textbook.
- Research WIC and SNAP: Understand how these programs are funded in your state. They are her direct legislative legacy and are constantly under threat of budget cuts.
- Support Primary Candidates: Chisholm proved that the "establishment" is often wrong about who can win. Look for "unbought" candidates in your local school board or city council races.
- Volunteer for Childcare Advocacy: Chisholm’s first passion was early childhood education. Organizations like the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) continue the work she started in the 1950s.