Jan. 25, 1972: Shirley Chisholm Began Historic Campaign for President

Shirley Chisholm ’72 material. Source: Lolly Eggers Papers, Iowa Women’s Archives

On Jan. 25, 1972, Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, opened her historic campaign for U.S. President in Brooklyn, New York.

She stated that 1972 must be the year that:

Women, Blacks, brown, the young, the old, activists for social change, and just people who are tired of reading the election results before the votes are counted — are going to prove that our candidates and our policies and our government are not the exclusive preserve of the financial community, the political establishment, and the opinion polls. [Watch full speech at C-SPAN.]

Barbara Winslow, founder and director emerita of the Shirley Chisholm Project, wrote:

A loyal member of the Democratic Party, Chisholm was also quite radical. During her time in Congress (1968-1982) and on the campaign trail for a year, she was outspoken on the issues of social and economic justice; she supported the role of government in expanding and democratizing the welfare state. She defended trade unions and was often photographed on strikers’ picket lines. She staunchly opposed militarism and fought against police brutality as well as the ever-enlarging carceral state. She spoke out in favor of the rights of prisoners and defended prison uprisings. In addition she opposed the increasing militarization of the U.S.–Mexico border and the racist treatment accorded Haitian refugees. A former teacher, she was a staunch defender of public education, believing that education at all levels should be free and open to all. And she was a proud feminist, a supporter of LGBT rights, and a staunch defender of a woman’s right to abortion, birth control, and sexual freedom.

Starting her career as an early childhood teacher, Chisholm spoke out for civil rights and women’s rights, a minimum family income; she opposed wiretapping, domestic spying, and the Vietnam War.

Learn more, including about Chisholm’s experiences growing up and as an educator that led to her political activism in the podcast Stuff You Missed in History Class and from the film Chisholm ’72 Unbought and Unbossed. For young children. we recommend the picture book, She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm. Place the role of Chisholm in historical context with Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All.