As a self-proclaimed catalyst for change, Shirley Chisholm broke down barriers within the American political system. Only seven years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, Chisholm entered the 1972 presidential race as a candidate for the Democratic Party. This timing made her the first woman to run for the Democratic nomination, as well as the first African American to run for the presidency. Chisholm sought to break down the American presidency – an office traditionally held by white, privileged men. As Chisholm herself described, she “‘ran because somebody had to do it first’” (Winslow 107). This boldness paved the way for many, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – the Democratic nominee in the 2016 presidential election.
Chisholm herself even stated, “of my two ‘handicaps,’ being female put many more obstacles in my path than being black” (Fitzpatrick 162). In other words, Chisholm’s experiences running for political office as a woman weren’t positive ones. Before she even announced her bid for the presidency in 1972, she faced skepticism from the media. The Hartford Courant’s headline of “Black Woman May Run for President” encapsulates the disbelief surrounding her candidacy (205). During her campaign, she faced severe criticisms from her opponents. For instance, the New York Times, “said she had three strikes against her – her sex, her race, and the fact that she ‘did not appear to have overwhelming support among women, blacks or youths’” (Braden 188). Chisholm knew she would face some discrimination. The unconventionality of her campaign demanded it. However, she wasn’t expecting the attacks to focus so much on her gender. As she described, “I was constantly bombarded by both men and women exclaiming that I should return to teaching…and leave politics to the men” (188). These sexist comments were only a fraction of the disapproval Chisholm faced. The worst offense was carried out by the Nixon administration. The release claimed that Chisholm, “dressed ‘as a transvestite in men’s clothing’ and [was] ‘hostile and aggressive,’” (Fitzpatrick 221). This cruel and untrue assertion was widely
When questioned about her political career, Clinton quipped, “‘I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas…but what I decided to do was fulfill my profession’” by running for office (237). Clinton continues to further the legacy of Chisholm and other trailblazing women by demonstrating her bravery in running for office. Still, as one Republican official described her, Clinton is often viewed as “‘grating, abrasive and boastful’” (236). Generally, female candidates are expected to be “more caring, compassionate, and emotional than their male counterparts, who tend to be seen as tough, assertive, and decisive” (Bauer). This issue is common among female candidates, and this expectation has certainly impacted Clinton’s campaign. Despite her background as Secretary of State, Clinton is continually questioned by her opponent about her strength. This constant doubt over fortitude is almost exclusively an issue for female candidates – and is one that has plagued Clinton’s political career, especially in this election
Towards the end of the 1960s a new era in equal rights took place. Following the example of the race movement earlier in the decade, women decided they needed the same gender equality as men. Up to this time in history women were known to society as house wives, and homemakers. According to David Farber, almost every decent-paying job was strictly held by men. With the increase of support for equal gender rights, Hon. Shirley Chisholm came to the rescue. Being the first woman in congress, she knew the hardships and troubles faced due to gender. When she delivered her speech to congress, it was a stepping stone for the history of women’s rights. With her help and focus on the Equal Rights amendment, it was later passed in 1972.
A distinguished congresswoman, scholar, and African American spokeswoman, Shirley Anita Chisholm was the first black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Chisholm was a dynamic public speaker who boldly challenged traditional politics, Fighting Shirley Chisholm', as she called herself during her first congressional campaign, championed liberal legislation from her seat in the House beginning with her inauguration in 1968 and continuing until her retirement in 1982. She ran an unsuccessful campaign for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination.
Shirley Chisholm career impacts on our understanding of civil rights by it is an ongoing battle that individuals have to fight for. Her childhood is one of the reasons that ultimately pushed her in the direction of politics and her influence in the civil rights movement. Chisolm parents were from the Caribbean island of Barbados and she was born in Brooklyn, she was sent back to live in Barbados because her parents were less fortunate with her sisters to live with her grandmother and aunt. Her grandmother and aunt instilled racial pride in Chisolm. While she was living in Barbados in a rural area she developed a sense of pride because she was exposed to other individuals of color that were in political power and were in administrative powers,
In Shirley Chisholm’s “I’d Rather Be Black Than Female,” she presents an examination of race and gender in politics. Chisholm was a black woman involved in politics, which led her to the conclusion that being black is preferable to being a woman. To substantiate the conclusion, Chisholm provides examples of racism and sexism from personal and observed experience.
Amadu, K. (2007). African Americans and U.S. Politics: The Gradual Progress of Black Women in Political Representation. New York: Prentice Hall Publishers.
“…when a young woman graduates from college and starts looking for a job, she is likely to have a frustrating and even demeaning experience ahead of her.” (Chrisholm 1969) This was stated in the oral speech Equal Rights for Women given by Shirley Chisholm. As I read the speech it was easy for me to identify where Shirley was coming from and the side she took on the topic of Women’s Rights. The lack of equality, weather that be with women or the African American race, is an issue. As a woman myself in today’s society she brought to my attention some very valid points. I thought the speech did a good job persuading me toward standing up for equality. Shirley successfully used arguments of parallel case, arguments from generalization and the
Hillary Rodham Clinton is a well-recognized woman in the United States. Her great contribution as Secretary of State impacted people’s lives. One of many remarkable speeches Clinton gave was the “The Women Rights Speech” on the 4th World Conference on Women Plenary Session, where she used strong words and emotions to appeal the audience. Even though the speech talked about women rights, she wanted everyone including men and children to listen and take action. Her use of ethos, logos and pathos throughout the speech helped people understand women live in a world where they suffer discrimination, and she proposes solutions to solve the issue.
Growing up during slavery times were hard on African American’s. Being treated the way they were they were treated was an injustice and something no one should ever go through. By analyzing Sojourner Truth’s early life of being born a slave, becoming a mother, having at least three of her children sold away from her, heading to freedom, fighting for abolition and women’s rights, advocacy during the civil war, her death and her legacy which lives on today. It is clear that Sojourner truth shaped her time.
Women understood that the only way they could genuinely make a difference in legislation was to commence running for office themselves. “Chisholm additionally ran president and carried delegates in the Democratic National Convention”. Though after the kineticism commenced an abundance of woman commenced running for office. Some of these women were the first of their ethnicity to be in office as women. Patsy Mink was elected into office in 1965 as the first Asian women and Shirley Chisholm in 1969 became the first African American women in office. This alone was immensely colossal progress in legislation for women. To further amend legislation and get more women into office the National Women’s Political Caucus. “National Women’s Political
Women in public leadership roles and positions were not very common; they were even less recognized as figures of political revolt. Rosa Parks is a vivid example of a woman who is generally recalled as a quiet and tired woman who refused to give up her seat in protests of segregation when she was actually “an agent” (Olson, 2001) for political activism. Interestingly, she is not historically depicted as a revolutionary for social justice, but as a deferential woman who served as a catalyst for a bus boycott organized by men. Hamer defied such a demure perception of herself through her speeches and through her actions. She challenged, albeit unwittingly, other women, particularly white women to recognize their “common bond” with her: “In the past, I don’t care how poor this white woman was, in the South, she still felt like she was more than us…But coming to the realization of the thing, her freedom is shackled in chains to mine, and she realized for the first time that she is not free until I am free,” (Marable & Mullings, 2009). Like King, and the other major prominent civil rights leaders of the time, Hamer was profoundly committed to the idea that the struggle to achieve equity and justice for one’s race and one’s humanity was a moral and spiritual commitment. She was fighting for something much bigger than herself; she was fighting for all people who were trapped by a system from which there had never been a clear
When considering making a political bid for office, women are often handicapped by psychological challenges, such as lacking confidence, that men are statistically less likely to report as reasons for not making political bids. One of the most compelling psychological challenges women face when making a political bid is that they are more likely to think that they do not have the qualifications to run for political office than men are (Lawless and Fox 114). Among the skills considered to be important for political success are knowledge about public policy issues, professional experience relevant to politics, good public speaking ability, good fundraising skills, and good self-promoting skills. As shown in Table 6.3, women are less likely to
During discussions surrounding rights and freedom, the white women assumed one side of the debate and the black men the other. The double discrimination that characterized this epoch left black women positioned in the middle. This arrangement denied black women from reaping the benefits that were extended to either group—effectively excluding them from being a part of either group. Mary Eliza Church Terrell summarized this unique position eloquently during her address at the first National Association of Colored Women meeting (Brown, 39). She declared, “we refer to the fact that this is an association of colored women, because our peculiar status in this country at the present time seems to have demanded that we stand by ourselves” (Mary Eliza Church Terrell, 39). To pursue their rights and freedom, it was necessary, not only for black women to unite and fight together, but to advocate for the rights of all citizens of the United States of America.
Hillary Clinton seemed intrinsically motivated due to her decision to help improve the lives of many existing American groups, since it appeared that she couldn’t possibly have in-group favoritism due to similarities among such a wide array of people. Some voters, however, may find her tactic of supreme benevolence unappealing, believing that she does, in fact, have a motive for behaving so fair-minded towards everyone. For instance, since the leaders of the Democratic Party know that its followers are typically suppressed minorities, such as women, African Americans, and those of different sexual orientations, voters may believe that Clinton solely expressed the ideals of her party’s leaders since the Democratic Party wouldn’t want to lose their largest support groups, and her motive, therefore, was to gain continued support by them. These voters may conclude that Clinton was expressing in-group favoritism not towards the American people who support her party, but more so for the leaders of the Democratic Party themselves, since they have more similarities to her due to the fact that she was a United States Senator and Secretary of State
The goal of Hillary’s speech is to persuade her audience that her ideas are valid, by using ethos, pathos, and logos. Hillary is the First Lady and Senator, she shows credibility as an influential activist for woman rights. “Over the past 25 years, I have worked persistently on issues relating to women, children, and families. Over the past two and a half years, I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing women in my country and around the world” (Clinton 2).
The traditional role of the First Lady is slowly evolving. Modern First Ladies are not stopping at challenging the rules of the game. They are creating a new game entirely. A game that does not rely on a patriarchal society’s idea of how women should behave. A game without the pressure of rules. A game that is not based on who played it before, but based on these women’s individual choices. Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama are defying and changing the traditional role of the First Lady through the influence of Eleanor Roosevelt and 4th wave feminism.