Why the political activism and legacy of Shirley Chisholm matters

On Dec. 12, the Brooklyn Public Library’s Center for Brooklyn History (BPL-CBH) hosted a hybrid conversation with Dr. Zinga Fraser about her newly edited book, “Shirley Chisholm: In Her Own Words” (University of California Press, 2024).

The book description states: “This long-overdue treatment of her work establishes Chisholm as an unparalleled public intellectual and Black feminist both in her time and now. The book not only contextualizes the Civil Rights and Black Power era; it also provides timeless insights on issues that are exceedingly relevant in our current moment.” It also introduces a new generation to one of the most impactful proponents of democracy in America.

Fraser is an assistant professor of Africana Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at Brooklyn College and the director of the Shirley Chisholm Project on Brooklyn Women’s Activism. She started the conversation by sharing why writing the book took so long.

“I think because women have been seen as activists, and even historians have framed them as activists and backbones. They’re the central part, but I never thought of them as theorists, as intellectuals engaging, writing things down, making a concerted effort. We think about Anna Julia Cooper or others but not those who are engaged in political activity or those who are writers,” she said.

Chisholm (1924-2005) was a public intellectual and Black feminist who was the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968. In 1972, she was the first Black candidate and woman on a major party ticket to run for President of the United States.

According to Fraser, Chisholm wasn’t necessarily a writer like Toni Morrison or a poet like Sonia Sanchez or Nikki Giovanni, who just passed away. Because she engaged in and organized political activism, she was seen as someone who did the work but not necessarily a thinker.

For example, Fraser shared that Chisholm had a progressive understanding of rehabilitation and crime before we even had a term or framing of community policing.

Fraser explained that she was “very much an advocate, to say that people who are policing people’s communities should look like them or should actually live in that community and engage with them. “

Chisholm’s speeches and writings on education, racism, women’s rights, and civil rights further proved her unparalleled role as a path-breaker and pioneer, challenging the status quo with a forceful vision of a just and equal democracy.

Those who are interested can find all the details to purchase the book here: https://www.ucpress.edu/books/shirley-chisholm-in-her-own-words/hardcover

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