[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 15 (Monday, February 14, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1358-S1359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING SHIRLEY CHISHOLM
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 52, submitted earlier
today by Senator Clinton.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 52) honoring Shirley Chisholm for her
service to the Nation and expressing condolences to her
family, friends, and supporters on her death.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I add my voice to so many in New York
and Washington who are mourning the loss of Representative Shirley
Chisholm of New York. Shirley Chisholm was a bold pioneer who fought
for civil rights and equality with an energy that forever changed the
way American politics deals with matters of race and gender.
When she was elected to Congress in 1968, Representative Chisholm
became the first African-American congresswoman. She overcame the twin
obstacles of racism and sexism to win election. But she didn't stop
there. When she reached Congress she spoke with a loud, clear voice,
and she quickly lived up to her slogan of being ``unbought and
unbossed.'' She was a cofounder of the Congressional Black Caucus in
1969, and she fought to improve the lives and opportunities of inner
city children and families. She opposed the Vietnam war and the
military draft. And she bravely declaimed the sexism and racism she
encountered in a political world that, prior to her arrival, had been
exclusively white and almost exclusively male.
Her positions on the issues and her statements about race and gender
made her a lightning rod for criticism. But despite the intense
pressure of being both outspoken and a ``first,'' Representative
Chisholm continued to blaze a path to greater equality. In 1972, she
became the first woman to run for the Democratic Presidential
nomination. Despite being largely ignored by the media, her committed
run for the Presidency, and the 152 delegates she won, proved to the
entire country that a woman was up to the task of taking on a serious
run for national office.
Representative Chisholm was a powerful symbol, an ``historical
person'' as she put it. But perhaps her greatest achievement was
reminding us that the purpose of fighting for equality is not to simply
make a point or become a symbol; it is to work for that day when we can
all enjoy the quiet responsibility of being equal. As she explained in
her 1969 speech to the House in favor of the equal rights amendment:
``A woman who aspires to be the chairman of the board or a member of
the House does so for exactly the same reason as any man . . . She
thinks she can do the job and she wants to try.''
Arthur Ashe said that heroism ``is not the urge to surpass all others
at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.''
Representative Chisholm was a heroine. She knew that ``there is little
place in the political scheme of things for an independent, creative
personality, for a fighter. Anyone who takes that role must pay a
price.'' She paid that price in order to serve Americans who were not
being served by the political establishment. She fought injustice and
discrimination and refused to be cowed by a history of exclusion. And
in so doing, she served not only the constituents of her time but all
Americans for all times.
Shirley Chisholm's legacy is undeniable; 13 African-American women
served in the House in the 108th Congress. We are grateful for her
life, and we are grateful for the doors she opened and the barriers she
brought down on behalf of us all.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution
and preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid
upon the table en bloc, and that any statements relating to the
resolution be printed in the Record, without intervening action or
debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 52) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 52
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 established 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 a member of Congress, Chisholm was an advocate for
civil rights, women's rights, and the poor; Whereas in 1969,
Shirley Chisholm, along with other African-American members
of Congress, founded the Congressional Black Caucus;
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S1358, February 14, 2005, under ``HONORING SHIRLEY
CHISHOLM'', the following sentence appeared: Whereas a member of
Congress, Chisholm hired women only--for her staff was an advocate
for civil rights, women's rights, and the poor; Whereas Shirley
Chisholm co-founded 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;
The online version has been corrected to read: Whereas a member
of Congress, Chisholm was an advocate for civil rights, women's
rights, and the poor; Whereas in 1969, Shirley Chisholm, along
with other African-American members of Congress, founded the
Congressional Black Caucus;
========================= END NOTE =========================
[[Page S1359]]
Whereas on January 25, 1972, Chisholm announced her
candidacy for President and became the first African-American
to be considered for the presidential nomination by a major
national political 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 Senate--
(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.
____________________