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Thursday, January 6, 2005
You may have heard that African American political giant, Shirley Chisholm died at the age of 80. But how many of you know her deep roots to the Caribbean?
Chisolm was born in Brooklyn, New York to a Guyanese father and Barbadian mother. She served 12 terms in the US senate. Though born in Brooklyn, she spent her formative school years in Barbados. She returned to complete high school and college in Brooklyn. In 1949 she married Jamaican, Conrad Chisholm. In the 1960s she began organizing black and Hispanic voters. In 1964 Chisolm won a seat in the state assembly. In 1968 she became the first African American woman in the US congress and in 1972 announced her candidacy for president. A fiery speaker, Mrs. Chisholm paved the way for many women and politicians of color.
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