IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 21 

Honoring Shirley Chisholm for her service to the Nation and expressing 

condolences to her family, friends, and supporters on her death. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 4, 2005 

Mrs. JONES of Ohio (for herself, Ms. SOLIS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Ms. GINNY

BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. WATT, Ms. LEE, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms. 

VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. TOWNS, and Mr. OWENS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring Shirley Chisholm for her service to the Nation 

and expressing condolences to her family, friends, and 

supporters on her death. 

Whereas Shirley Chisholm was born Shirley Anita St. Hill on 

November 30, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York, to Charles 

and Ruby St. Hill, immigrants from British Guyana and 

Barbados; 

Whereas in 1949, Shirley Chisholm was a founding member 

of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Political League; 

Whereas in 1960, she started the Unity Democratic Club, 

which was instrumental in mobilizing black and Hispanic 

voters; 
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•HRES 21 IH 

Whereas in 1964, Chisholm ran for a New York State assembly seat and won; 

Whereas in 1968, Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to Congress, representing New York’s 

Twelfth Congressional District; 

Whereas as a member of Congress, Chisholm hired a staff of 

all women, was an advocate for civil rights, women’s 

rights, and the poor, and spoke out against the Vietnam 

War; 

Whereas Shirley Chisholm cofounded the National Organization for Women; 

Whereas she remained an outspoken advocate of women’s 

rights throughout her career, saying, ‘‘Women in this 

country must become revolutionaries. We must refuse to 

accept the old, the traditional roles and stereotypes’’; 

Whereas in 1969, Shirley Chisholm, along with other African 

American members of Congress, founded the Congressional Black Caucus; 

Whereas on January 25, 1972, Chisholm announced her candidacy for president and became the first African American to be considered for the presidential nomination of 

either the Democratic or Republican party; 

Whereas although Chisholm did not win the nomination at 

the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami, she 

received the votes of 151 delegates; 

Whereas Shirley Chisholm served 7 terms in the House of 

Representatives before retiring from politics in 1982; 

Whereas Shirley Chisholm was a dedicated member of Delta 

Sigma Theta Sorority and received the sorority’s highest 

award, the Mary Church Terrell Award, in 1977 for her 
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•HRES 21 IH 

political activism and contributions to the Civil Rights 

Movement; 

Whereas Shirley Chisholm was a model public servant and an 

example for African American women, and her strength 

and perseverance serve as an inspiration for all people 

striving for change; and 

Whereas on January 1, 2005, Shirley Chisholm died at the 

age of 80: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) honors Shirley Chisholm for her service to 

3 the Nation, her work to improve the lives of women 

4 and minorities, her steadfast commitment to dem5 onstrating the power of compassion, and her dedica6 tion to justice and equality; and 

7 (2) expresses its deepest condolences to her 

8 family, friends, and supporters. 

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