Trailblazer Shirley Chisholm
Unbought and unbossed
Hi all,
Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “Trailblazer Shirley Chisholm”, by Goose Goose Duck. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included the YouTube video below the article. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEIC (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1.
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(470 words)
Today’s song is about a congresswoman named Shirley Chisholm. In 1968, she became the first Black woman in the U.S. Congress. She represented the state of New York.
Shirley was fearless. She wanted to make a difference and bring people together to fight for the rights of women, Black people, and Indigenous people.
Shirley ran for President of the United States
She was fighting for a change that was very great
No one had ever seen anything like it before
She was a strong advocate for the poor
In July 1972, there was a big meeting of the Democratic Party. There, people decided who would run against President Richard Nixon. Shirley Chisholm made history as the first African American woman to run for President of the United States. She went against the grain in order to do it. That means that most people expected her to simply accept her role as a Congressperson and not rock the boat (cause problems). But Shirley Chisholm was a trailblazer, a person who opened a path so that others could follow.
Shirley Chisholm’s campaign was called "Unbought and Unbossed." This means that she would not accept gifts or money from others to make her do something, and that she was free to make her own decisions about things.
From the start, some white male journalists and politicians didn’t think she could win, but she was a courageous game changer, a heavy mover, someone who was strong and was able to make important changes. During her campaign, she always played fair, meaning she was always honest in what she did and didn’t use tricks to get elected. She earned the respect of her peers.
At the convention, she got a lot of votes from people who wanted her to be the president, and she did really well. However, other people in the competition got even more votes.
Even though she didn’t win, her campaign was still very important. She showed that anyone can run for president, no matter their skin color or gender. She had to deal with a lot of racism and sexism because she was a woman and Black, but she didn’t give up.
She opened doors for women everywhere thus far
A role model for little young girls and boys
Through her example, Shirley Chisholm sent a message to young people: Stay true to yourself, make sure your morals never bend which means to be honest about who you are and to always do what you believe is the right thing to do. She told them to go after their dreams and aspirations.
Because of Shirley Chisholm, it’s easier for other Black women to run for president now.
Shirley Chisholm died on 1 January 2005. She didn’t live to see President Obama take office nor Hillary Clinton accept the Democratic Party’s nomination.
Question:
What are some of your dreams and aspirations?
Vocabulary
fearless 恐れ知らず
indigenous 先住民
advocate 擁護者
courageous 勇敢な
(be) elected 当選
respect 尊敬
competition 競争
racism 人種差別
sexism 性差別
morals 道徳
aspiration 大志
also… bob your head
Sources
A&E Television Networks. Shirley Chisholm ‑ facts, Accomplishments & Legacy. History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/us-government-and-politics/shirley-chisholm Accessed 28 September 2024.
Michals, Debra. "Shirley Chisholm." National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, 2015. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/shirley-chisholm. Accessed 28 September 2024.
Stewart, J. C. (2001). 1001 things everyone should know about African American history. Broadway Books.
Portions of this article were based on:
If They Don’t Give You a Seat at the Table, Bring a Folding Chair: Why Shirley Ran by Jennifer Glassco at the Substack “400 Years”
Netflix has a film about Shirley Chisholm’s run for president. It’s called Shirley.
Excellent 2-minute video about her making history:
Shirley Chisholm was quite the force in my Mom's Texas Democrat home in the early 1970s. I was too young to vote, but Mom really had Ms. Chisholm on her mind. One night Mom ran out of her bedroom screaming, "You gotta get her out, You gotta get her out!" My brother and I were dazed and confused and asked "Who?" Mom replied, "Shirley, Shirley Chisholm is locked in the closet!"
We opened the closet door, let Shirley out and put Mom back to bed. I will always remember Shirley Chisholm for her spirit, both real and imaginary.
I remember that summer of 72 and the election of Nixon so vividly. Having grown up in the segregated south it amazed me to see a woman, and a woman of color show the world that it didn’t matter your sex or race - everyone should have a chance to compete. I really loved her.