February 3, 2012
In this month's Inside Higher Ed review of Obama, Clinton, Palin: Making History in 2008 Election, Shirley Chisholm's historic 1972 presidential run is discussed in the essay, “Chisholm's Forgotten Legacy.” Author Tera W. Hunter writes of Chisholm, that she was “antiracist, antisexist, pro-choice, pro-labor, antiwar, fiercely independent, and, above all, principled,” in comparison to Democratic primary candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton who Hunter says were reluctant to bring up race and gender in their campaigns for fear of alienating voters.
In contrast, Hunter says, Chisholm “challenged the racist attitudes and practices in the women’s movement,” Hunter writes, “as much as she challenged sexism among African-Americans and the broader society.”