Unbought and unbossed: Remembering Shirley Chisholm in times of political crisis
Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.), running in the 12th Congressional District in Brooklyn for a seat in the House of Representatives, is shown on Election Day, Nov. 5, 1968. Chisholm was elected and became the first black woman representative to serve in Congress. | AP

You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.—Shirley Chisholm

History is a living tapestry of moments, intertwining to shape our perspectives and influence our present conditions. When we as a whole remain ignorant of history, we set ourselves up to be taken advantage of by those who hope we make no connection between ourselves today and our society in the past. In these times of political turmoil and uncertainty, it is imperative to look to history to understand where we have been and where we may never want to go again. The political trailblazer Shirley Chisholm is a figure that more should know about, not only because of her own individual accomplishments but also because of her understanding of how true progress is made even in the face of hateful political maneuvers, greedy businessmen, and archaic forms of thinking.

Born Shirley Anita Chisholm on November 30, 1924, to working-class immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York City, she had a childhood filled with inspiration for her political career of advocating for workers, civil rights, and a future not beholden to the highest corporate bidder. Chisholm’s mother, Ruby Seale, was a seamstress and domestic worker, while her father, Charles Christopher St. Hill, was a factory laborer. St. Hill was a follower of Black political activist Marcus Garvey and an advocate for the rights of trade union members.

Her connection to the struggles of working people in the United States and what she witnessed through her mother’s family in Barbados of workers’ and anti-colonial independence movements would help shape Chisholm’s political trajectory.

Shirley Chisholm, running on the Democratic slate for the 12th Congressional District in Brooklyn looks at posters for distribution with a young constituent. New York on Oct. 26, 1968. | Leonard Bazerman/AP

In 1953, she became a member of what would eventually be known as the Bedford–Stuyvesant Political League (BSPL). The organization pushed for political candidates to advocate for supporting civil rights, fair housing, and improving economic opportunities and services in Brooklyn. And even then, Chisholm was not afraid to push back against sexism—even in progressive circles. It was due to her unwillingness to be complacent in the face of discrimination that she eventually left the group in 1958 after clashing with one of the founders over Chisholm’s push to give female members of the organization more input in decision-making.

When she ran for New York state assembly in 1964, she used her position as Brooklyn branch president of Key Women of America to mobilize female voters. This was in the face of the Unity Democratic Club’s (UDC) hesitancy in supporting her candidacy due to her being a woman. Chisholm would go on to win not only the Democratic primary but also the main election, beating her Republican and Liberal Party opponents by thousands of votes. She would serve on the New York State Assembly from 1965 to 1968.

In 1968, Chisholm became the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Her campaign slogan was “Fighting Shirley Chisholm—Unbought and Unbossed.” She represented New York’s 12th congressional district for seven terms from 1969 to 1983.

It was in 1972 when Chisholm, in continuing her slogan of “Unbought and Unbossed,” became the first Black candidate running for a major-party nomination for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. While many focus on her historic presidential campaign bid, it is clear from observing Chisholm’s journey that the strength of her candidacy was forged through her steadfast commitment and activism throughout all the years leading up to that moment. She never advocated for being the savior of the people, but through her work in office, she advocated for opportunities and justice so that the people could realize their full potential.

New York Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm is shown in downtown Miami, Florida as she joined sugarcane workers picketing the Talisman Sugar Company offices Feb. 24, 1972, during her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. | Jim Kerlin/AP

This sentiment is encapsulated in a quote in which she states, “I want history to remember me… not as the first Black woman to have made a bid for the presidency of the United States, but as a Black woman who lived in the 20th century and who dared to be herself. I want to be remembered as a catalyst for change in America.” Chisholm understood that she was one of many capable people who, if given the chance, could make concrete changes for themselves and society as a whole.

She called her campaign the “Chisholm Trail” and stayed undeterred in the face of several assassination attempts, a lack of support from the predominantly male Congressional Black Caucus, mixed support from leading white feminists, underfunding, and not being taken seriously by many in the mainstream political terrain. Although, it should be noted that many on the grassroots level saw Chisholm’s candidacy as a chance for change and progress. One of those was the Black Panther Party, who officially endorsed her. And while Chisholm didn’t get the delegates needed to secure the nomination, she is quoted as saying, “The door is not open yet, but it is ajar.”

More than fifty years after Chisholm made her bid for the DNC nomination, former Vice President Kamala Harris would figuratively walk through that door when she launched her official campaign as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. While we can find comfort in the fact that some progress was made, we must also acknowledge that many of the issues Chisholm faced were the same ones Harris dealt with half a century later.

The November 2024 presidential election presented the United States with a chance for something different, something keeping with our progressive trajectory, but instead, apathy, perfectionism, sexism, anti-Blackness, and refusal to do away with the status quo helped to deliver us the political turmoil we currently find ourselves in. Just as there was a divide within the progressive movement in Chisholm’s time that hindered the unity behind her campaign, so too was the case with Harris.

As we celebrate Black History Month 2025, it does us no good to hold vigils and empty “remembrances” of Black historical figures who paved the way if we refuse to learn from the lessons they taught us.

Shirley Chisholm is surrounded by campaign workers flashing the victory sign, shortly after she won election to Congress from New York City’s Bedford-Stuyvesant district, on Nov. 6, 1968. | AP

Chisholm did not have it easy. When she ran to be the presidential nominee for the Democratic party, she not only had to deal with sexism and racism from the right but also with skepticism, racism, and sexism from those she considered her allies. She was an unapologetic Black woman who fought for working-class rights, equal rights for women (including access to abortion), and against injustice. Some wanted to see her presidential campaign as some symbolic gesture, but Chisholm was running to win—despite the odds.

Black women’s leadership and support shouldn’t be seen as symbolic mascots for others to use in order to be placed in positions of power. They should be seen just as capable as their allies in the progressive movement.

On a larger scale, Chisholm’s slogan of “unbought and unbossed” holds even more relevancy as we are currently faced with a White House administration that seems to be on the payroll of the robber barons of 2025—tech billionaires. She once noted, “When morality comes up against profit, it is seldom that profit loses.” And as we currently see, with this second Trump presidency, as profits continue to win, the very fabric of our democracy continues to unravel.

Yet, stories like Chisholm’s show us what real capable leadership can achieve. It shows us what could have been and what we must continue to strive for. Her story is essential to Black history, but it is also essential to American history. We’d do well to learn from it.

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CONTRIBUTOR

Chauncey K. Robinson
Chauncey K. Robinson

Chauncey K. Robinson is an award winning journalist and film critic. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, she has a strong love for storytelling and history. She believes narrative greatly influences the way we see the world, which is why she's all about dissecting and analyzing stories and culture to help inform and empower the people.

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