Shirley Chisholm Research Paper

Shirley Chisholm, named Shirley Anita St. Hill at birth, was born to Charles Christopher St. Hill and Ruby Seale on November 30, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York. Both her parents were immigrants. Her father was a factory worker from Guyana and her mother was a seamstress and a domestic worker. At the age of three, Shirley relocated to Barbados to live with her grandmother. She received much of her primary education in the Barbadian school system, which stressed the traditional British teachings of reading, writing, and history. Chisholm credits much of her educational successes to this well-rounded early education. When Chisholm was ten years old, she returned to New York.

She attended Girls' High School in Bedford-Stuyvesant, in Brooklyn. Chisholm won tuition scholarships to several distinguished colleges; however, she could not afford room and board. Although she faced many obstacles that could have prevented her from attending college, Chisholm remained persistent in pursuit to further her education. Chisholm later graduated from Brooklyn College in 1946 and went on to study elementary education at Columbia University graduating in 1952.

In 1968, Chisholm became the first black woman to serve in the United States Congress in spite of her being, as she herself termed it, a “double handicap”—both black and a woman. Chisholm held a long career in the U.S. House of Representatives. Chisholm swiftly made a name for herself with her brand of fearless politics. She highlighted key issues throughout her career. She fought for educational opportunities, racial equality and women empowerment. In addition to her interest in civil rights, she spoke out about the judicial system in the United States, police brutality, prison reform, gun control, drug abuse, and many other topics. As a political leader, Chisholm was courageous and maintained a strong sense of morality while standing up for her