Unsung Heros
Before I did this assignment I didn’t know who Shirley Chisholm was. She is one of the strongest women I have ever read about. From being the first African-American woman in congress and battling the status quo, to being the first woman to run for president in a major political party, she is truly an inspiration. “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
Shirley Chisholm was born on November 30th 1924, little did she know she was about to impact the world. She lived in Brooklyn NYC during her childhood, though she spent part of it with her grandmother in Barbados. Following her graduation from Brooklyn College in 1946 she decided to go onto the career path of a teacher. She ended earning a masters degree in elementary education in Columbia University, which is a big achievement, as it’s an ivy league school.
Shirley Chisholm did a lot of things inside of her life. In 1964 she ran and became the second African American in in the New York State Legislature. Then, in 1968 she got into congress, making her the first African American woman there, earning her the nickname, “Fighting Shirley”
Shirley Chisholm faced many challenges during her life. Afterall back then, being both a person of color and a woman in a political job were very hard. An example of this is when she ran for the Democratic presidential nomination and wasn’t allowed in any televised primary debates. She fought against this in court and was allowed only one speech. She received multiple death threats, along with assassination attempts which led to the secret service having to protect her.
Shirley Chisholm was truly a hero. Changing the whole entire political world and fighting against racial inequalities. She fought with the power of speech and politics, gracefully winning. “I want to be remembered as a woman.. Who dared to be a catalyst of change.”
Great job! I liked how you added a quote in your topic paragraph!
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