March marks the celebration of phenomenal women who have achieved remarkable milestones that have made their way in history. We are highlighting the legendary history of Brooklyn trailblazer Shirley Chisholm to honor the contributions women have made to Prospect Park and our Brooklyn neighborhood. Shirley Chisholm is a local hero who exemplifies tenacity and devotion in Brooklyn and beyond. Two further memorials honoring Chisholm and her legacy will be added to Brooklyn’s Backyard in the upcoming years. The Shirley Chisholm monument, commissioned by the NYC Mayor’s office through the She Built NYC Initiative, will honor Chisholm. The Shirley Chisholm Welcome Center, funded by NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and the Brooklyn Delegation—which includes Council Members Crystal Hudson, Rita Joseph, and Shahana Hanif—will convert a former maintenance building into a space that pays tribute to Chisholm’s legacy and harmonizes with the new monument.
Chisholm was born to Barbadian parents in Brooklyn in 1924. She was born and raised in Barbados, moving back to Brooklyn when she was eleven years old. For most of her life, she resided in Crown Heights, which is northeast of Prospect Park and a few blocks from the historic Weeksville. Both Brooklyn College and Brooklyn Girls’ High have awarded Chisholm degrees. While working toward her master’s degree in early childhood education, she initially taught nursery school students in Brooklyn. She worked at the New York City Division of Daycare as a consultant by 1960. Shirley joined local branches of the League of Women Voters, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Urban League, and the Democratic Party Club in Bedford-Stuyvesant. She battled for racial and gender equality even before she was elected to Congress. Chisholm was a leader who stood out for the people of Brooklyn and the nation as a whole.
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Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress in 1968. Her efforts to increase the number of people eligible for food stamps, raise the minimum wage for domestic workers, and support the passage of Title IX—a historic federal civil rights law that forbids sex-based discrimination in any government-funded program or school—were among her noteworthy accomplishments in Congress.
Throughout her tenure in Congress, Chisholm championed gender and racial equality and presented more than fifty bills. She served as one of the founding members of both the National Women’s Political Caucus and the Black Caucus in 1971. In 1977, she was appointed as the first female member of the influential House Rules Committee and the second member of any female organization.
Shirley Chisolm was among the most well-known and influential members of Congress by 1972. Representative Chisholm made history that year when she became the first Black nominee for president of the United States from a major party. In keeping with her catchphrase, “unbought and unbossed,” Despite intimidation and attempts at dissuasion from establishment politicians, Chisholm remained committed to upholding the interests of her constituency. Chisholm once remarked, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring in a folding chair.”
Chisholm was denied access to televised primary debates during her 1972 Democratic Party presidential campaign. She had to file a lawsuit to be allowed to give a single statement. Despite the severe hostility she endured, Chislhom’s tenacity paid off, as she participated in 12 primaries and received 152 of the delegates’ votes, garnering her the moniker “Fighting Shirley.” In 1983, Chisholm left the Congress. In addition to co-founding the National Political Congress of Black Women, she was a professor at Mount Holyoke College. Chisholm is still a national icon of victory and a real force for change; thus, her legacy endures both in her homeland of Brooklyn and well beyond.
Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance, stated, “I hope all will join us to honor Brooklyn trailblazer Shirley Chisholm’s legacy and help to get the word out about the vital need to vote, as Chisholm so strongly advocated throughout her life.”
Morgan Monaco noted, “As the first Black woman to lead the Prospect Park Alliance, I am truly honored to celebrate Chisholm’s legacy. We look forward to proudly hosting the first monument in her honor at the Parkside and Ocean entrance and sending a message to the entire Caribbean American community to see themselves and feel welcome in Prospect Park. This performance and voter registration event is another exciting way where we get to celebrate ways, she enacted change here in Brooklyn and beyond.”
As stated by League of Women Voters NYC Board Member Karen Wharton, “Shirley Chisholm’s activism began, in part, at the LWVNYC, and her fearless leadership and advancement of democracy continue to inspire. That she was an African American woman of Caribbean heritage from Brooklyn blazing a political trail even before the Voting Rights Act of 1965 makes her a shero to me.”
Wharton stated, “Shirley said, ‘The one thing you’ve got going: your one vote.’ That encapsulates what we believe at The League. That is why we are so excited to celebrate this phenomenal woman by teaming with our partners to couple a performance about her life with voter registration and activation of as many New Yorkers as possible. Together, we honor Shirley Chisholm’s legacy by ensuring all voices and votes are heard.”
Kenya Johnson, president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.’s Brooklyn Alumnae Chapter, stated, “The legacy of Brooklyn Alumnae of Delta Theta Sigma Sorority member Shirley Chisholm is an unwavering commitment to equality, equity, and inclusion. We draw strength from her tremendous courage and determination.”
Johnson stated, “We celebrate our Soror Shirley by fostering a community of empowerment, education, and advocacy and creating a space where everyone, especially women, can continue to write their stories of success and lead for social change. We are proud to be part of this event that honors Shirley Chisholm’s memory by promoting voter education and mobilization.”
