A day for Shirley Chisholm

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Nov. 30 is Shirley Chisholm Day in New York, and it’s about time New York the nation, and indeed the world celebrates this Black woman, the first to be elected to Congress in 1969, just five years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act.Chisholm was the first Black woman to run for president in 1972. Imagine the racism and sexism she encountered. But it didn’t stop her! She competed in just 12 primaries, as the good old boys worked to prevent her ballot access. Yet she amassed 152 delegates, around 10% of the total.Related Stories As a member of Congress, Chisholm authored about 50 pieces of legislation, mostly around race and gender equality, children, poverty and ending the war in Vietnam. Her boldness was an inspiration for women like former New Jersey Secretary of State Regina Thomas and retiring Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who cast the lone vote against our war in Afghanistan.If there were no Chisholm, there would be no Vice President Kamala Harris, whose own presidential campaign reminds us of Chisholm. Chisholm was not only a legislator, representing Brooklyn, she was also an educator and activist. She earned a master’s degree in early childhood education from...