On this day in 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress.
The educator would represent the mostly Black 12th District of New York, largely made up of Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant community.
She fought tirelessly to improve education and create equal employment opportunities for minorities. During her time in Congress, Chisholm hired only women for her office, a majority of whom were African American.
In 1971, Chisholm was one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus. In 1972, she became the first major party Black candidate for president of the United States.
All this and more on “Prime.”
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