Black History
Shirley Chisholm: The First Black Woman to Run for President
The 2020 President campaign continues simultaneously with the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. For Democrats the once-crowded field of contenders is down to less than 10, and both Black candidates, Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, have suspended their campaigns.
When Harris launched her White House bid a year ago, she paid tribute to the first black woman ever to run for president, New York Representative Shirley Chisholm. Chisholm was also the first black woman elected to the United States Congress, representing New York’s 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 until 1983. And, she was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Chisholm launched her presidential campaign in 1972, becoming the first black to run for a major party nomination.
“I am not the candidate of black America, although I am black and proud,” Chisholm said when she announced her candidacy. “I am not the candidate of the women’s movement of this country, although I am a woman and equally proud of that. I am the candidate of the people and my presence before you symbolizes a new era in American political history.”
She was also the first woman to take the podium during a Presidential debate and later cited her gender as the hurdle that posed the greatest obstacle during her campaign.
“When I ran for the Congress, when I ran for president, I met more discrimination as a woman than for being black. Men are men,” she stated.
The Brooklyn native began her campaign with only $300,000. She received three confirmed threats against her life, and her husband, Conrad, served as her bodyguard until she received U.S. Secret Service protection in May 1972 which occurred the same month her Democratic rival, George Wallace, was shot and paralyzed from the waist down during an assassination attempt. Chisholm visited Wallace during his hospitalization and was criticized by many black Americans for her empathy because the Alabama Governor had a history of supporting pro-segregation policies. Senator George McGovern became the Democratic nominee in 1972.
2020 Presidential Candidates Push to Honor Chisholm
In 2018 Senators Harris and Booker along with their colleague, Senator Kristen Gillibrand who also ran for president, introduced legislation urging Congress to commission a statue honoring Chisholm that would be displayed in the U.S. Capitol. Harris reintroduced the bill in 2019. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by New York Representative, Yvette Clarke.
“For the first time in history, there are more than 20 Black women serving in the United States Congress – and we all stand on the shoulders of Shirley Chisholm,” said Senator Harris. “Shirley’s legacy inspires us to continue our fight to give a voice to the voiceless and pursue justice and equality for every American. Her legacy deserves to stand tall in the United States Capitol.”
To date, there is not a statue of Shirley Chisholm in the U.S. Capitol, but New Yorkers will have a statue to admire of the trailblazing politician as part of the She Built NYC Initiative. The monument is expected to be installed by the end of 2020.
In Arkansas a formerly all-Black school, Ouachita County Training School, has launched a national fundraising effort to restore the campus following its designation as a site on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the first corporate donations to OCTS, located in Bearden, Arkansas, came from the Katherine Anthony Foundation.
Anthony’s nephew, Steve, and CEO of Anthony Timberlands, presented a $10,000 check to the historic committee.
“We are happy to support the work of the Greater Bradley District Association and the Ouachita County Training School committee in their efforts to maintain the infrastructure and grounds of the training school, which is such an important part of the Bearden community,” Anthony said.
The National Park Service listed OCTS on the prestigious register in 2023.
“Since we received the news, we have been excited and motivated to raise the fund necessary to preserve this part of our history!” Virginia Ashley, committee president said. “We recognize the pivotal role OCTS played in educating several generations of young people who started right here and went on to contribute greatly to the Black middle class and the world.”
The gift of education
For education advocates, December holds a special place in American history. During the Christmas Season in 1952, the Supreme Court first heard arguments to eliminate segregation in the nation’s public schools. But, it took two more years before the Court issued its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, declaring segregation unconstitutional.
During the 1950s, OCTS educated Black students in the small southern town south of Little Rock, which became known internationally for The Little Rock Nine and their efforts to integrate Central High School. In Bearden, several Rosenwald Schools had consolidated to create the larger OCTS campus that educated students from the first through the 12th grades.
“I have such wonderful memories of my days as a student at OCTS,” recalled Pearlie Newton, a retired educator and executive director of the OCTS historic committee. “My dad helped pour concrete at the campus, my husband and I met there and it was in one of the classrooms that my goal to become an educator took shape.”
Despite the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision eliminating “separate but equal” schools, OCTS remained segregated until 1971 when it merged with the white school district in the area. An association of Black Baptist churches known as the Greater Bradley District Association purchased the campus for use as its headquarters.
Pastor and Association Moderator, Verna Thompson, said, “We are excited about the renovation and look forward to holding our church services and meetings in a modernized facility that holds so much historic significance.”
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