Community leaders from across New York City gathered on Feb. 10 at Brooklyn Borough Hall for a Black History Month tribute to the late Brooklyn Congresswomen Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm, who was born Nov. 30, 1924 and died Jan. 1, 2005.
Chisholm was an American politician, educator and author with Barbados, West Indies heritage.
She was a Congresswoman, representing New York’s 12th (Brooklyn) Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. In 1968, she became the first Black women elected to Congress. On Jan. 25, 1972, she became the first major-party candidate for president of the United States of America and first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination also in 1972. Her political motto was, “Catalyst for Change-Chisholm for President ’72.”
Master of Ceremonies William R. Howard was a former staff member of the late Congresswomen Shirley Chisholm.
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, NYS Committeewomen Rodneyse Bichotte, PresidentNYS NAACP Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, NYC Comptroller John Liu, Consulate General of Barbados Lennox Price, Dr. Lamuel Stanislaus and UNCF James Alston also paid tribute to Chisholm.
Alston said, “UNCF will be presenting an award that pays tribute to the late Shirley Chisholm for her longtime as a New York congresswoman, first Black Presidential candidate and lifelong champion of education, at its UNCF College Fund Gala Dinner at the NYC Marriott Marquis Hotel, March 1, 2012.”
Photos by Gideon Manasseh
