Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives when she won New York's 12th Congressional District seat in 1968. In 1972, she became the first African American person to seek the nomination for president of the United States from a major political party and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's nomination. During her seven terms in Congress, "Fighting Shirley" worked tirelessly for her constituents. She co-founded the National Organization of Women (NOW) in 1970, the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971, and in 1977 became the first African American woman and second woman ever to serve on the House Rules Committee. Chisholm retired from Congress in 1983. In 1991 she moved to Palm Coast, Florida, residing in Flagler County until her death in 2005. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 2015. That same year, the Palm Coast City Council designated November 30 as "Shirley Chisholm Day," recognizing her list of firsts and her focus on equal rights, education and the family. Of her legacy, Chisholm said, "I want to be remembered as a woman... who dared to be a catalyst of change."

Palm Coast, Florida · United States