Shirley Chisholm: Catalyst for Change (Lives of American Women) - Softcover

Winslow, Barbara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813347696 ISBN 13: 9780813347691

Publisher: Routledge, 2013

Synopsis

A staunch proponent of breaking down racial and gender barriers, Shirley Chisholm had the esteemed privilege of being a pioneer in many aspects of her life. She was the first African American woman from Brooklyn elected to the New York State legislature and the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968. She also made a run for the Democratic Party nomination for president in 1972. Focusing on Chisholm's lifelong advocacy for fair treatment, access to education, and equal pay for all American minority groups, this book explores the life of a remarkable woman in the context of twentieth-century urban America and the tremendous social upheaval that occurred after World War II.

About the Lives of American Women series: Selected and edited by renowned women's historian Carol Berkin, these brief biographies are designed for use in undergraduate courses. Rather than a comprehensive approach, each biography focuses instead on a particular aspect of a woman's life that is emblematic of her time, or which made her a pivotal figure in the era. The emphasis is on a 'good read', featuring accessible writing and compelling narratives, without sacrificing sound scholarship and academic integrity. Primary sources at the end of each biography reveal the subject's perspective in her own words. Study questions and an annotated bibliography support the student reader.

About this title

About the Author

Barbara Winslow

From the Back Cover

"An eclectic collection of books, readily accessible to students who will be able to see the contributions of women in many fields over the course of our history. Long overdue, these books will be a valuable resource for teachers, students, and the public at large."
Cokie Roberts, author of "Founding Mothers" and "Ladies of Liberty"
"For educators keen to include women in the American story, but hampered by the lack of thoughtful, concise scholarship, here comes Lives of American Women, embracing Abigail Adams s counsel to John remember the ladies. And high time, too!"
Lesley S. Herrmann, Executive Director, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Barbara Winslow delves into the complex, multi-layered, and deeply human reality of Shirley Chisholm. Winslow then tells a story we must know if we are to understand our own political moment. One in which a reelected black president governs alongside a Democratic Congressional delegation composed of a majority of women and racial minorities who were voted into office by an interracial coalition of voters led by women of color. This reality is quite literally unimaginable in the absence of Chisholm's trailblazing political career. This is a book that should have been written three decades ago, but now that it is here, it is required reading for all who claim to know American political history."
Melissa Harris-Perry, Director, Anna Julia Cooper Project on Gender, Race and Politics in the South Tulane University and Host of MSNBC's "Melissa Harris-Perry"
A staunch proponent of breaking down racial and gender barriers, Shirley Chisholm had the esteemed privilege of being a pioneer in many aspects of her life. She was the first African American woman from Brooklyn elected to the New York State legislature and the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968. She also made a run for the Democratic Party nomination for president in 1972. Focusing on Chisholm s lifelong advocacy for fair treatment, access to education, and equal pay for all American minority groups, this book explores the life of a remarkable woman in the context of twentieth-century urban America and the tremendous social upheaval that occurred after World War II.
Barbara Winslow is professor and historian who teaches in the School of Education and for the Women's Studies Program at Brooklyn College. She is the founder and project director of the Shirley Chisholm Project of Brooklyn Women s Activism, a digital repository of information about Chisholm and about women s activism in Brooklyn.
Series Editor Carol Berkin is a well-known women s historian and the author of many popular and scholarly books, including "Civil War Wives." She is Professor of History Emerita at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and she is a member of the Society of American Historians."

Reviews

In 1972, when Chisholm was the first African American and first woman to seriously run for U.S. president, it was the ultimate in a series of firsts for her, including first black woman from Brooklyn to be elected to the state legislature and first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress. Having grown up in Barbados and Brooklyn, Chisholm retained an immigrant perspective on the U.S., especially the need to work hard to advance. While still enrolled in Brooklyn College, she started working in local politics, developing a strong power base among women’s clubs and community organizations that later helped her win elections. Her personal slogan was “unbought and unbossed,” and her political pragmatism and outspokenness often put her at odds with mainstream Democrats, black nationalists, and feminists. She fought for unemployment insurance and minimum wages for domestic workers, encouraged women to enter politics, staffed her office mostly with women, and helped to organize the Congressional Black Caucus. Winslow offers a valuable perspective on a woman who faced challenges of race and sex as she pushed the agenda for social justice in her long political career. --Vanessa Bush

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0813347696
• ISBN 13: 9780813347691
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208