Congresswoman Barbara Lee Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Shirley Chisholm’s Presidential Campaign
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today released a statement commemorating the 50thanniversary of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s presidential campaign. Congresswoman Chisholm was a mentor to Congresswoman Lee and the first Black woman to run for president.
In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress. On January 25th, 1972, she declared her candidacy for president of the United States—historic in nature as the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for president from one of the two major political parties. In her closing remarks, she appealed to all those who have felt neglected, ignored, and shunned to join her “in an effort to reshape our society and regain control of our destiny as we go down the Chisholm Trail for 1972.”
Congresswoman Lee plans to celebrate Congresswoman Chisholm’s legacy by encouraging her colleagues to join her in hosting events along the Chisholm Trail—locations across the country that were integral to Congresswoman Chisholm’s life and legacy.
“Congresswoman Chisholm was a trailblazer, a champion of the poor and marginalized, and a role model to me and so many other women in politics, especially Black women,” said Rep. Lee. “It brings me great joy to celebrate Congresswoman Chisholm’s legacy 50 years after her historic presidential run. It is my hope that my colleagues will join me in celebrating Congresswoman Chisholm’s life and achievements in each part of the country she touched.
“I was fortunate enough to learn from Congresswoman Chisholm as a mentor. She encouraged me to run for office. I take her lessons with me every day I go to work on behalf of my constituents in California’s 13th Congressional district. She was not only a role model and mentor, but she was also a close friend and confidant.
“Fifty years after her presidential campaign, we are still facing some of the same challenges she sought to defeat. From voting rights, to eradicating poverty and dismantling gender and racial injustice, we must keep Congresswoman Chisholm’s philosophy of being ‘unbought and unbossed’ with us as we fight for a more just future.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.