If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.
Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm, the first Black U.S. congresswoman and first Black candidate to make a bid for a major party presidential nomination, invited herself to many tables of power. A teacher by training, she represented New York state in the House of Representatives from 1968 to 1983. While she did not win the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972, she ran a spirited campaign with the slogan, “Unbought and Unbossed.” She was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and active in the NAACP. Throughout her life, Chisholm fought for the rights of women and people of color. She did not wait for permission to stand up for her community, and encouraged others who were underrepresented to take their own rightful place in government.
