We are delighted that the design of the Shirley Chisholm statue for Prospect Park has been approved by the Public Design Commission. This is after five years when it was announced. by the then First Lady of New York, Charlene McRae, on the series, She Built New York, plans for monuments to women who, who played a significant role in the history of the city.
After some delay in the approval process, it has now been finally approved and installation is expected in 2025. It is good to know that Brooklyn, the beloved home of Shirley Chisholm will finally have a monument to this trailblazer of a politician.
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Shirley Chisholm. The daughter of a factory worker from Guyana and a seamstress from Barbados has shaken the political world in the United States. She was the first African American woman in Congress, the first woman and first African American to seek the nomination for President of the United States, from one of the major political parties, and her motto is known everywhere as Unbought and Unbossed, which illustrates her outspoken independence in the political world. Shirley Chisholm became the second African American in the New York State Legislature and had a very active rule while she was in that office.
When elected to Congress, in 1968 she introduced more than seven pieces of legislation, championed racial and gender equality causes, tackled the plight of the poor, the ending the Vietnam War and she was known as the fighting Shirley. She was the first black woman to serve on the powerful Rules Committee.
In her historic run for president of the United states she said and “I’m not the candidate of black America although I’m black and proud I’m not the candidate of the woman’s movement of this country although I am a woman and I’m equally proud” of that Chisholm declared “I’m not the candidate of any political boss or fat cat or special interest I stand here now without endorsement from any big name politicians or celebrities or any kind of prop I do not intend to offer you the tired and glib cliche which for too long has been accepted as part of our political life I am the candidate of the people of America.”
In American politics the world of Shirley Chisolm heralded in a new era in American politics and so the statue in Prospect Park will be ongoing reminder of this trail blazer who indeed brought a new era to American politics and serves as an inspiration to so many, let’s hope this project keeps moving forward and Chisolm can be recognized for what she really is a champion of the people as she said in her own words, “ I want to be remembered as a woman who dared to be a catalyst of change” indeed, indeed.