Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, let me thank my dear colleague, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, along with her partner, Congressman Jonathan Jackson, for anchoring this evening's Special Order hour honoring Shirley Chisolm. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on this special occasion to celebrate and commemorate the 100th birthday of the late Congresswoman Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm and in commemoration of her lifetime of extraordinary trailblazing achievement. Shirley Chisolm was a woman who truly lived her American Dream out loud, unapologetically, and with audacity. Her special brand of leadership and her charismatic persona in concert with her audacious eloquence and sheer elegance brought to the world our fight for justice through the embodiment of a petite woman from Brooklyn. As the only Black woman in the New York State congressional delegation, also a Brooklynite, and the Member who holds the very same seat in part that Shirley Chisholm once held, I am not only duty bound to prioritize the marginalized and overlooked and protect the underserved and left behind, I am compelled to do so. My Congress Member, Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm, did the same for me. She championed my cause, she paid it forward, and she pulled me up, just as she did for all Americans. You see, Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm was a woman who dared to be a catalyst for change.…”