[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[EX]
[Page 4449]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          A WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH TRIBUTE TO SHIRLEY CHISHOLM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2011

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, during our celebration of Women's History 
Month, I would like to take an opportunity to honor the late Honorable 
Shirley Anita Chisholm. She was a trailblazer and an inspiration for 
many people across the country, including myself.
  Shirley Anita Chisholm was born on November 30, 1924, in Brooklyn, NY 
to immigrant parents. She was an alumna of Girls High School, and 
earned her B.A. from Brooklyn College in 1946. In 1952, she went on to 
earn her M.A. from Columbia University in elementary education. During 
her time in school she became interested in and became a proud member 
of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the NAACP.
  Prior to her political career, she was an educator--a nursery school 
teacher from her college graduation in 1946 until 1953. From 1953 to 
1959, she served as the director of Hamilton-Madison Child Care Center, 
and from 1959 to 1964 she was an educational consultant for the 
Division of Day Care in New York City.
  Shirley Chisholm's political career began when she ran for the New 
York State Legislature in 1964. She proudly served there for four 
years. In 1968, she won election to the United States House of 
Representatives, becoming the first African-American woman elected to 
Congress. Congresswoman Chisholm was re- elected six times, and retired 
in 1983. During her tenure, she was a founding member of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, and was an important advocate for women, 
children, and inner city residents.
  Her distinguished career was marked by challenging barriers. Shirley 
said: ``I want to be remembered as a woman who fought for change in the 
twentieth century.'' We remember her today as a powerful force for 
change, an advocate for the most vulnerable in society, and an 
inspiration for many. On January 25, 1972, she became the first major-
party black candidate for President of the United States of America and 
the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the life 
and accomplishments of Shirley Chisholm on the occasion of Women's 
History Month.

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