She broke barriers in American politics as the first African American woman in Congress during a time of extreme discrimination in the United States.
She broke barriers in American politics as the first African American woman in Congress during a time of extreme discrimination in the United States.
She started her career as a nursery-school teacher and earned her master’s degree in elementary education from Columbia University in 1951.
In 1969, Chisholm ran and won a seat in Congress, where she ultimately served seven terms and earned the nickname “Fighting Shirley” for her passionate work for racial and gender equality.
She went on to be the first woman and African American to run for president of the United States under a major political party in 1972.
