Wonder if Hillary Clinton during tonite’s historic acceptance speech for the presidency at the DNC (Democratic National Convention) will give props to the woman pictured above. My sense is she won’t even though she is aware of who this woman is… Some may call it ‘politics’. Others may call it an unwillingness to live up to the high standards of transparency and integrity set by this woman. For those who are unaware, the woman above is none other then Shirley Anita St Hill Chisholm.
Hillary Clinton will be celebrated tonight for ‘cracking a glass ceiling‘ and blazing a new path for women coming after her. But it was Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress who served her Brooklyn district for 7 terms who cracked ceilings, busted down doors and put in work that laid the ground work for the historic presidential run not only for Hillary Clinton but also for the historic runs of Barack Obama and Jesse Jackson when he ran in ’84 and ’88. We should pull no punches and make no mistake about that-Shirley was the one who did that initial heavy lifting back in 1972.
During that time she was considered ‘the people’s candidate‘ and was greatly admired by the public. As a Congress woman Shirley Chisholm boldly advocated for some of the same things Hillary is touting now including a safety net for children and single mothers. She fought to expand school lunches for kids. She fought for increased education access, immigration rights and she fought to extend benefits for domestic workers.
In spite of her accomplishments in Congress and her historic run, Chisolm was shunned, marginalized and ridiculed by many who held power in the political establishment and yes that included members of the Congressional Black Caucus at the time. They shunned her in the elite circles while organizations who held up the grassroots like the Black Panthers endorsed her. As a candidate Chisolm was kept at arms length by some who hold influence who are in the room at the DNC tonight cheering for Hillary.
Many holding power didn’t like the fact that Chisolm was disrupting the script and turning the ‘set up’ on its ear. Many didn’t like the fact that she lived up to her slogan: ‘UnBought and UnBossed’. She kept it 100 and wouldn’t sell her soul…
For her efforts, Chisholm received numerous death threats and had 3 assassination attempts on her life during her run for President. That’s even more reason why she should be given public props. In the words of Beyonce ‘Say Her Name, Say Her Name..Say her name for reals and don’t allow her to be erased from history.
Parents please teach your kids about the sister who really set it off..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3JCX3WxBik
