SHIRLEY CHISHOLM
A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
And now this year , Vice President Kamala Harris , the first Black woman to hold the second highest office in the country , is the Democratic nominee in the November presidential election that pits her against Trump , who is again the GOP ’ s White House candidate .
Harris ’ White House campaign differs from that of Chisholm in the amount of support she has received from a vital constituency .
In the Netflix film , Rep . Ron Dellums , D-California , is portrayed as first swearing his allegiance to Chisholm but later switching his support to Sen . George McGovern , D-South Dakota , the ultimate winner of the 1972 Democratic Party ’ s nomination . Chisholm lost the backing of Dellums and struggled to get much support from other Black elected officials . Most members of the Congressional Black Caucus , of which she was a founding member , ultimately endorsed McGovern .
That was a lethal blow to Chisholm ’ s presidential campaign .
To celebrate the centennial of Chisholm ’ s birth , the Museum of the City of New York has created an exhibit that will run through July 20 , 2025 . It ’ s titled , “ Changing the Face of Democracy : Shirley Chisholm at 100 .”
During an interview earlier this year on “ Sunday Morning ,” the CBS News show , Hillary Clinton acknowledged the impact Chisholm has had on the political ascendency of women in American politics .
“ I stand on the shoulders and have passed on the baton to the next generation , just as Shirley did . And , so , when I see this exhibit about her , I think she did her part , she really did ,” Clinton said .
On Nov . 5 , this nation will see if the trail blazed by Shirley Chisholm will lead Kamala Harris into the White House . n
( Warren K . Leffler / U . S . Library of Congress )
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