Guest Editorial: Celebrating Shirley Chisholm’s 100th birthday, remembering a barrier-breaking champion

& & On Nov. 30, Shirley Chisholm would have turned 100 years old. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Chisolm died on January 1, 2005, at 80. Almost 30 years after her death, Chisholm’s contributions are still making a difference on the American political landscape. Although Vice President Kamala Harris was unsuccessful in her bid to become the first woman—and first of Black and Asian descent—to become president of the United States, her loss in no way minimizes Chisholm’s impact. The vice president’s very role and 107-day campaign for the White House are clear signs of Chisholm’s major contributions. Harris often said on the campaign trail, “We stand on the shoulders of Shirley Chisholm, and Shirley Chisholm stood proud.” Before her historic presidential run in 1972, Chisholm was elected to Congress in 1968, representing the 12th congressional district of Brooklyn. Her election also made her the first Black woman to serve in Congress. A fellow Democrat and member of the New York Congressional Delegation, former Rep. Charlie Rangel, fondly recalled in a 2020 interview with CBS News: “I heard more about Brooklyn than I wanted to know. She was a forceful orator. Shirley Chisholm’s voice was heard more, moreso than most...