Shirley Anita st.

Hill Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm was born in 1924 in Brooklyn New York. Her parents
were Charles and Ruby Seale St. Hill. They were West Indian immigrants, with four
children. Out of Shirley’s three sisters, she was the oldest. When Shirley was three years
old, her parents sent her to live in Barbados with her grandmother. When she turned ten
she came back to New York. At the age of fourteen, her parents took her to meet Eleanor
Roosevelt, and she told Shirley “don’t let anyone stand in your way”, and Shirley
remembered those words for the rest of her life.
Shirley went to New York public schools, and her grades were so good, that
she won scholarships to several different colleges. The only problem was that she
couldn’t afford room or board, so she moved in with her parents, and went to Brooklyn
College. As she prepared to become a teacher, she became interested in politics. She then
developed an interest in women being more involved local in politics, because she felt
that women can do the same thing as men could and women could be involved in politics
just like men could. Though campus politics and work with the NAACP, she found a way
to voice her opinions on economic and social structure in the nation.
After she graduated with honors from Brooklyn College in 1946. She began
to teach at a nursery school. After a few years of teaching at the nursery school. She
became politically involved in the Democratic Party. Three years later she married
Conrad Chisholm.
After a successful career as a teacher. Shirley decided to run for the New
York state assembly. In 1964 she won the election and was New York state assembly
until 1968. Then she decided to run for U.S. Congress. Her opponent was a civil rights
leader by the name of James Farmer. She won the election and began working in the
House of Representatives.
In 1972 January 25th Shirley Chisholm became known as the first African
American candidate for president of United States. She was also the first woman to run
for Democratic presidential. She spoke on police brutality, prison reform, gun control,
drug abuse and lots more. Even though she didn’t win the election. She still continued her
career in the U.S. House of Representatives, for ten more years. In 1982 she retired and
worked as a professor in Massachusetts at mt Holyoke College. One year later Shirley
started suffering a series of small strokes. On January 1 2005 she died in a nursering
home.
Shirley Chisholm played an important role in African American. She
accomplished so much. She was the first African American woman to be elected as the
U.S. Congress. She also was the first African American to run for president.
Shirley Chisholm inspires me because she never gave up even though she
didn’t win the election. She fought for what was right, and she proved that women can do
anything men can do as long as they put their mind to it and follow their dreams.

The end
By:Nande Bolton