[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 21 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 21

Honoring Shirley Chisholm for her service to the Nation and expressing 
    condolences to her family, friends, and supporters on her death.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2005

 Mrs. Jones of Ohio (for herself, Ms. Solis, Ms. Slaughter, Ms. Ginny 
Brown-Waite of Florida, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Watt, Ms. Lee, Ms. Kilpatrick 
  of Michigan, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Meeks of New York, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. 
  Towns, and Mr. Owens) submitted the following resolution; which was 
           referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Honoring Shirley Chisholm for her service to the Nation and expressing 
    condolences to her family, friends, and supporters on her death.

Whereas Shirley Chisholm was born Shirley Anita St. Hill on November 30, 1924, 
        in Brooklyn, New York, to Charles and Ruby St. Hill, immigrants from 
        British Guyana and Barbados;
Whereas in 1949, Shirley Chisholm was a founding member of the Bedford-
        Stuyvesant Political League;
Whereas in 1960, she started the Unity Democratic Club, which was instrumental 
        in mobilizing black and Hispanic voters;
Whereas in 1964, Chisholm ran for a New York State assembly seat and won;
Whereas in 1968, Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to 
        Congress, representing New York's Twelfth Congressional District;
Whereas as a member of Congress, Chisholm hired a staff of all women, was an 
        advocate for civil rights, women's rights, and the poor, and spoke out 
        against the Vietnam War;
Whereas Shirley Chisholm cofounded the National Organization for Women;
Whereas she remained an outspoken advocate of women's rights throughout her 
        career, saying, ``Women in this country must become revolutionaries. We 
        must refuse to accept the old, the traditional roles and stereotypes'';
Whereas in 1969, Shirley Chisholm, along with other African American members of 
        Congress, founded the Congressional Black Caucus;
Whereas on January 25, 1972, Chisholm announced her candidacy for president and 
        became the first African American to be considered for the presidential 
        nomination of either the Democratic or Republican party;
Whereas although Chisholm did not win the nomination at the 1972 Democratic 
        National Convention in Miami, she received the votes of 151 delegates;
Whereas Shirley Chisholm served 7 terms in the House of Representatives before 
        retiring from politics in 1982;
Whereas Shirley Chisholm was a dedicated member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority 
        and received the sorority's highest award, the Mary Church Terrell 
        Award, in 1977 for her political activism and contributions to the Civil 
        Rights Movement;
Whereas Shirley Chisholm was a model public servant and an example for African 
        American women, and her strength and perseverance serve as an 
        inspiration for all people striving for change; and
Whereas on January 1, 2005, Shirley Chisholm died at the age of 80: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors Shirley Chisholm for her service to the Nation, 
        her work to improve the lives of women and minorities, her 
        steadfast commitment to demonstrating the power of compassion, 
        and her dedication to justice and equality; and
            (2) expresses its deepest condolences to her family, 
        friends, and supporters.
                                 <all>