Chisholm Day 2018 will be an unforgettable occasion.
For our 50th Anniversary Celebration of Chisholm’s ascension onto the national stage, the Chisholm Project will not only look back on the life and achievements of the Hon. Shirley Chisholm; we will also be discussing how to carry her legacy forward into the future, even in the midst of the formidable social and political challenges that confront us in our own time.
50 years ago, Shirley Chisholm launched a skillful campaign, assembling a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual coalition of women and the working class to defeat her better-known and better-funded opponent in Republican James Farmer.
In 2018, women—and women of color in particular—stood up on the political stage and marched to the polls in record numbers. Why? Because, even despite the hard-fought gains marginalized people have made against heterosexism, classism, and white supremacy, the levers of US government continue to be powerful weapons to threaten the lives of this countries most politically vulnerable groups.
When Chisholm sought a seat in Congress, the United States was embroiled in the racial upheaval of the Civil Rights Movement, the social unrest of the Vietnam War protests and some of the most urgent days of the Women’s Movement. Chisholm sought to be a leader because she saw the promises of a new era in American life, but also because she saw the growing attacks on the rights of women, the rights of African Americans and programs for the working class.
Towards the end of her career in politics, Shirley Chisholm
Just yesterday, the scions of Chisholm’s legacy were called to action by the same forces that
Watch this video for a glimpse of what’s in store for our celebration on November 27th: