[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 20, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1161]
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. JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 12, 2001

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. 
Res. 97 honoring Shirley Chisholm, a woman whose self-confidence and 
faith propelled her to the heights of a pacesetter and trailblazer. She 
was never afraid to speak out on any issue she felt adverse to. An 
inspiration to all women, Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman to 
be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1968, 
and was the first Black woman to seek the bid for the Democratic 
presidential nomination in 1972. Adversity has never been an issue with 
Ms. Chisholm. Throughout her life she faced diversity, not only for her 
ethnicity but also for her gender. Undaunted, Shirley Chisholm refused 
to allow discrimination to deter her mission for equality and justice. 
In fact, discrimination proved to be a tool she used in motivating her 
to devote her life to being a civil rights reformer and an ardent equal 
rights activist.
  Ms. Chisholm sought a life of public service primarily to bring an 
honest and a more vocal servant to her district in Brooklyn, New York. 
She was such a popular figure among her constituents that she won her 
seat in each election by substantial margins. Throughout her tenure in 
Congress Shirley Chisholm was an active member of the Congressional 
Black Caucus and an outspoken advocate for the interest of the urban 
poor.
  In times of inequality, her persistence led to monumental 
accomplishments, noteworthy of this historical recognition. She 
introduced legislation to establish publicly supported daycare centers 
and to extend unemployment insurance to domestic workers. During the 
Vietnam War she gained attention as a vocal critic, while most other 
Members remained quiet. While faced with enormous criticism, she 
continued to demonstrate strong advocacy of her beliefs.
  Mr. Speaker, I'd like to close with an excerpt from ``Journey to 
Justice,'' the literary work of the late Audre Lorde, an African 
American woman, saying:

       Remain steadfast in the journey to justice Strip the 
     blindfold from the eyes of justice Let her see the tears that 
     fall because Justice ignores inequities looming in plain 
     sight
       . . . Remember that we are the seeds of great queens, the 
     Daughters of Teresa of Avila and Nerfertiti Sisters of Rosa 
     and Winnie Mothers and aunts of Nia and Imani--those we love 
     and strive To live the meanings of their names
       We can be who we are--Bold to create our own dignity Ready 
     to transform words into action Armed with courage and 
     commitment Steadfast and straight ahead on the --Journey to 
     justice

  These words exemplify the strong legacy of Shirley Chisholm. She has 
given our little girls another role model to emulate and has inspired 
them and all of us to dream without boundaries.

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