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Shirley Chisholm: The First Black Woman to Run for President

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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.

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Trump Signs Executive Orders That Will Impact HBCUs and Black Schoolchildren

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and establish a White House Initiative on HBCUs to “deliver high-quality education to a growing number of students.”

According to the White House, the Initiative will help develop private-sector partnerships, institutional development and workforce preparation in technology, health care, manufacturing and finance. 

The president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Dr. Harry L. Williams said, “Today’s executive order serves as strong reaffirmation of President Trump’s support of investment of historically Black colleges and universities. This executive order should serve as a call-to-action for corporations, foundations, members of Congress and state lawmakers to redouble their efforts to support HBCUs and their students. TMCF looks forward to continued engagement with the administration and Congress to deliver results for HBCUs and the students they serve via appropriations and other legislative actions.”

On the same day, Trump signed another executive order that removes safeguards for African American schoolchildren by eliminating an Obama-era initiative to protect Black schoolchildren from excessive disciplinary action.

During the Obama administration, the first Black president’s administration created guidelines that sought to prevent school discipline from having a disproportionate effect on minority students. Trump revoked the civil rights initiative during his first term and Biden did not formally restore it. 

At his signing today, Trump said his decision was especially important to the current Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who held the signed order.

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, schools were forced to consider equity and inclusion when imposing discipline,” McMahon said in a statement. “Their policies placed racial equity quotas over student safety – encouraging schools to turn a blind eye to poor or violent behavior in the name of inclusion.”

She added, “Disciplinary decisions should be based solely on students’ behavior and actions.

Studies show that Black students are punished more often than their white counterparts.

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President Jimmy Carter Appointed the First Black Woman to Lead a Federal Agency

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President Jimmy Carter advanced opportunities for African Americans throughout his life,
advocating for justice and peace consistent with the Christian values he embraced. Since his
death on December 29 at age 100, Mr. Carter’s praises have been sung from his home state of
Georgia to points around the globe. And while the former president’s one-term in the White
House is dismissed by some political pundits for a lack of policies or accomplishments that
changed the course of history, his character and integrity set him apart.


Carter became the first president to appoint a Black woman head of a federal agency. He chose
Patricia Roberts Harris to lead the Housing and Urban Development when he took office in
1977.


Harris said, “I feel deeply proud and grateful this President chose me to knock down this barrier, but also a little sad about being the ‘first Negro woman,’ because it implies we were not
considered before.”


Senator William Proxmire questioned Carter’s choice, saying Harris came from too much wealth and influence to be an effective leader. But Carter stood by his decision, and Harris stayed in the position for two years.


The 39th president’s name is also included on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.


Civil rights activist, Rev. Al Sharpton recalled a conversation he shared with Carter.


“It was very significant, I was talking there at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, and I was talking to President Clinton and President Carter,” Sharpton recalled. “And when Clinton and I finished talking, President Carter touched me on my arm and said, ‘How are you doing with your ministry, Al? I see you out there with your activism. Don’t leave your ministry … keep your prayer life going.’ And you could tell he sincerely meant it. He was not one who talked about his religion as a political kind of something you could say to voters.”


President Joe Biden declared January 9, 2025, a national day of mourning. Millions watched the former president’s funeral on television as he was remembered as a man of honesty,
compassion and faith – which included championing the rights of Americans who knew firsthand the struggle of injustice

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The Congressional Black Caucus Prepares for “Important” Work

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The Congressional Black Caucus started the 119th Congress with its largest membership. There were 62 members sworn in today.

“On behalf of the entire Congressional Black Caucus, congratulations to the members of the Executive Committee of the 119th Congress. 53 years after our Caucus’ founding, our work to improve the lives and conditions of Black people in America is more important than ever before,” said CBC President Steven Horsford.

Photo Credit: Ron Busby, U.S. Black Chambers Inc.

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