[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S1432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

SENATE RESOLUTION 52--HONORING SHIRLEY CHISHOLM FOR HER SERVICE TO THE 
     NATION AND EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES TO HER FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND 
                        SUPPORTERS ON HER DEATH

  Mrs. CLINTON (for herself and Mr. Levin) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                               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 as a member of Congress, Chisholm hired women only 
     for her staff, was an advocate for civil rights, women's 
     rights, and the poor, and spoke out against the Vietnam War;
       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;
       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.

                          ____________________