Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisolm at 100
Division of Public Programs
Thomas J. O’Halloran, “Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm announcing her candidacy for the presidential nomination Cong. Chisholm, Cong. Charles B. Rangel, Cong. Parren Mitchell, Cong. Bella Abzug,” January 25, 1972, Library of Congress, LC-U9-25384- 7B, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Library of Congress
Thomas J. O’Halloran, “Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm announcing her candidacy for the presidential nomination Cong. Chisholm, Cong. Charles B. Rangel, Cong. Parren Mitchell, Cong. Bella Abzug,” January 25, 1972, Library of Congress, LC-U9-25384- 7B, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Library of Congress
New York native Shirley Chisolm (1924-2005) became the first African American women elected to Congress in 1968, and the first woman to run for president for one of the two major parties in 1972. Her activism and political prowess opened doors for both female and African American politicians who came after her, and many of the causes Chisolm pursued remain relevant today.
In honor of the centennial of Chisolm’s birth, the Museum of the City of New York hosts Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisolm at 100.
The exhibition, on view through July 2025, explores Chisolm's life from her early years in Brooklyn and Barbados to her lasting impact on U.S. politics, and the connections between Chisolm's political pursuits and the political scene today through historical artifacts, videos, interactive exhibits, and artwork.
Hear the exhibition’s co-curators, Zinga A. Fraser and Dr. Sarah Seidman, discuss Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisolm at 100 on WNYC’s All of It.