The city of New York will now observe Nov. 30 as “Shirley Chisholm Day” in honor of the political trailblazer. The New York City Council passed the resolution on Monday ahead of what would have been Chisholm’s 100th birthday, according to The Gothamist.
“This legislation is more than a recognition — but an affirmation — of the contribution of Shirley Anita Chisholm, who unlocked and opened doors for generations of political leaders who were excluded simply for being Black,” Brooklyn Councilmember Farah Louis said.
She added that recognizing Chisholm’s legacy will help “show young women in our city, particularly Black women and women of color, that their dreams are valid and their voices matter.”
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Chisholm, a Democrat and a resident of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, was the first Black woman to be elected to Congress in 1968. She represented Brooklyn’s 12th Congressional District from 1969 to 1983 for a total of seven terms. She focused on expanding food stamp programs and she helped start the Congressional Black Caucus, according to CBS News. Chisholm was also the first Black candidate to seek a major party nomination for president in 1972.
“As a native New Yorker, Shirley Chisholm dedicated much of her life to serving the people of New York City,” councilmember Nantasha Williams said. “Seeing as her birthday is November 30th, there would be no better date to celebrate her contribution to this great city as an educator, activist, and elected official.”
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Chisholm was born in 1924 and was the daughter of Barbadian immigrants; she died in 2005. She received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 and a statue in her honor is set to be installed in Prospect Park in 2025.
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