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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Harlem Project Shirley Chisholm

Harlem Project Shirley Chisholm:


Shirley Chisholm



Shirley Chisholm is an inspirational American figure.  As a black woman, she spent her life battling discrimination and prejudice not only because of her race, but also her gender.  As both educator and politician, she fought for the rights of the disenfranchised and minority populations.  Chisholm was the first African-American woman to serve in the United States Congress, the first major black candidate for the United States Presidency, and a constant advocate for the rights of minorities.
She is also an author of two books, Unbought and Unbossed and The Good Fight and countless essays and position papers.  Read here one such essay “Women Must Rebel.”

In her essay, Chisholm writes "I am both black and a woman." What twoelements does she state are creating a social revolution AND why does she say this is a disadvantage?

As a student at Brooklyn College, her academic interests led her to identify with women such as Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony; women who fought for the equality of others.  Susan B. Anthony’s efforts in fighting for equality for women would not only leave an impression that affected Chisholm personally, but an impression that would steer her through her political career.


After graduating from Brooklyn College, Chisholm took a job teaching at Mount Calvary Child Care Center, a nursery school in Harlem. While there, she began her master’s