U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) announced last week she is cosponsoring a bipartisan bill to honor Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) reintroduced a bill directing Congress to commission a statue of former U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm to be displayed in the United States Capitol. Currently, there are four statues and busts in the United State Capitol representing African-Americans, including Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Sojourner Truth. Companion legislation will also be introduced today in the House of Representatives by Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY). “For the first time in history, there are more than 20 Black women serving in the United State Congress—and we all stand on the shoulders
Black women in politics opened many new doors, ran in many areas across the country, who won and helped others win. We’ve come a long way since Rep. Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress.
The 50th Anniversary of Rep. Chisholm’s election offers our country a chance to renew our commitment to Black women, not only in elective office, but within the ranks of true political power.