Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 4243, the Shirley Chisolm Congressional Gold Medal Act, sponsored by Representative Barbara Lee. Today we will vote to honor former Representative Shirley Chisolm with a Congressional Gold Medal for her activism, independence, and groundbreaking achievements in politics as the first African-American woman elected to serve in Congress. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill. Shirley Chisolm was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was the oldest of four daughters to immigrant parents. In fact, Chisolm lived in Barbados between the ages of 5 and 9 and always considered herself Barbadian. Last week, I was pleased to join Minority Leader Jeffries and many members of the Congressional Black Caucus as we celebrated Chisolm along with the people of Barbados. It was such a great time, and I am thankful that we continue this celebration in Congress today. Chisolm graduated from Brooklyn College cum laude in 1946 where she also excelled on the debate team. Her professors encouraged her to consider a political career. She knew she would face difficulties as an African-American woman, but that did not stop her. In 1964, Chisholm became the second African American to serve in the New York State legislature. In 1968 she was elected to the 91st Congress as the first African-American woman Member.…”