[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 83 (Thursday, June 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1105-E1106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING CONTRIBUTIONS, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND DEDICATED WORK OF SHIRLEY 
                             ANITA CHISHOLM

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 12, 2001

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to join with my 
colleagues in honoring one of the most dedicated and respected 
legislators of our time--former Congresswoman and civil rights leader 
Shirley Anita Chisholm.
  It is said of Shirley Chisholm that she was a passionate and 
effective advocate for the needs of minorities, women, and children and 
that she truly changed the nation's perception about the capabilities 
of women and African-Americans. Well, while that may well be true, 
Shirley Chisholm was that and so much more.
  I had the distinction and pleasure of serving with Shirley Chisholm 
in the New York State Assembly in the mid 1960's and later here in the 
Congress where she was the first African-American woman elected to 
Congress, and witnessed firsthand just how much of a pioneer and 
visionary she was. She didn't fear entering the male-dominated Brooklyn 
political arena, nor the New York State Legislature, nor this Congress, 
and she did it with the ebullient style and determination that was 
Shirley.
  Her enduring spirit and foresight, lead her to take the biggest step 
of all when she ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972, 
only seven years after Blacks were given the right to vote. It was 
through this venue, that Shirley Chisholm was able to focus national 
attention on the issues that mattered most to her. She became a 
powerful spokesperson for the Democratic Party. Though she was not 
successful in her bid, her running was symbolic. It encouraged other 
Blacks and women to participate in politics; it opened the door to 
later campaigns, and it sent the message that Black politicians had 
arrived.
  For many years, Shirley Chisholm has given leadership to the struggle 
for equality and human rights for all people. Her life exemplifies her 
passionate commitment for a just society and her vision for a better 
world. Throughout her political career, her tireless efforts lead her 
to take on such issues as women's rights, funding for day care, job 
training, fair housing, and environmental protection just to name a 
few. She also fought against credits to defray the cost of going to 
private schools fearing it would diminish the quality of public 
schools.
  Shirley Chisholm was an outspoken leader. She worked for the reform 
of U.S. political parties and legislatures in order to meet the needs 
of more citizens. She was a severe critic of the seniority system in 
Congress and protested her 1969 assignment to the House Agriculture 
Committee. She soon won reassignment to a committee on which she felt 
she could be of greater service to her district.

[[Page E1106]]

  Shirley once said, ``We must build new institutions or reform old 
ones so that there are avenues of upward mobility and achievement that 
will allow all citizens, black and white, to maintain creative tensions 
between themselves. If we fail, this nation will be poorer for it and 
if we succeed, it will be richer indeed.''
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague Representative Barbara Lee, for 
affording Members the opportunity to mark this occasion recognizing 
Shirley Chisholm who is a true public servant, a champion for all 
people, and a woman whom I am proud and honored to call my friend.

                          ____________________