{"id":14594,"date":"2024-12-12T15:41:04","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T15:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=14594"},"modified":"2024-12-12T15:41:04","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T15:41:04","slug":"congress-honors-shirley-chisholm-with-congressional-gold-medal-for-trailblazing-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/12\/congress-honors-shirley-chisholm-with-congressional-gold-medal-for-trailblazing-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress Honors Shirley Chisholm with Congressional Gold Medal for Trailblazing Legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Stacy M. Brown<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent<\/em><\/p>\n

@StacyBrownMedia<\/em><\/p>\n

U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.-12) announced the passage of bipartisan legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the late Shirley Chisholm, a pioneer in American politics and the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968. The Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act will now head to President Joe Biden for his signature.<\/p>\n

The bill, introduced in the Senate by Senators Butler and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and in the House by Rep. Lee, received widespread bipartisan support. The legislation recognizes Chisholm\u2019s extraordinary contributions to American society, including her advocacy for racial and gender equity, low-income communities, and her historic 1972 presidential campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cShirley Chisholm\u2019s courageous leadership opened doors for countless others and redefined what was possible in American politics,\u201d said Butler. \u201cThis medal is a tribute to her unwavering dedication to justice and equality.\u201d Lee, a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Chisholm, spoke eloquently about the significance of the honor. \u201cAs the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first to run for president from a major party, Shirley Chisholm\u2019s legacy is unparalleled. Her motto, \u2018Unbought and Unbossed,\u2019 continues to inspire leaders today,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n

During her seven terms representing New York\u2019s 12th Congressional District, Chisholm introduced more than 50 pieces of legislation and was a vocal advocate against the Vietnam War. In 1972, she made history as the first Black candidate and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. Though her campaign faced significant barriers, including exclusion from televised debates, Chisholm\u2019s run was a symbolic act to pave the way for future diverse candidates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ran because someone had to do it first,\u201d Chisholm wrote in her book, The Good Fight. \u201cThe door is not open yet, but it is ajar.\u201d Chisholm\u2019s legacy was recalled in New York, where officials recently commemorated her 100th birthday on November 30.<\/p>\n

Vice President Kamala Harris, whose historic 2024 presidential bid followed in Chisholm\u2019s footsteps, routinely paid homage to Chisholm. \u201cSo many of us stand on her broad shoulders,\u201d Harris said. \u201cLet us continue to speak truth to power and fight for equality and justice for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor Congress bestows, and Chisholm\u2019s recognition follows her posthumous receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2015. Senators and representatives across party lines lauded the legislation, with Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) calling Chisholm \u201can inspiration for millions\u201d and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) highlighting her role as a \u201ccatalyst for progress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chisholm\u2019s life began in Brooklyn, New York, where she was born Shirley Anita St. Hill on November 30, 1924. She graduated cum laude from Brooklyn College and earned a master\u2019s degree from Columbia University while working as an early childhood educator. Her political career began in 1964 with her election to the New York State Legislature, followed by her historic win in Congress four years later.<\/p>\n

\u201cShirley Chisholm was a fighter who shattered glass ceilings and inspired generations,\u201d said Warnock. \u201cHer life\u2019s work reminds us of the power of representation and the need to continue her fight for equity.\u201d Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., of which Chisholm was a member, expressed pride in her legacy. \u201cHer unbought and unbossed spirit guides our work today,\u201d said Elsie Cooke-Holmes, the sorority\u2019s international president.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.-12) announced the passage of bipartisan legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the late Shirley Chisholm, a pioneer in American politics and the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968. The Shirley Chisholm Congressional […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[252],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[268],"class_list":["post-14594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14594"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14595,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14594\/revisions\/14595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14594"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=14594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}