In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman in Congress and in 1972, the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for president of the United States from a major political party. In Congress, Chisholm worked for racial and gender equality, the conditions of the poor, and ending the Vietnam War. She was a co-founder of the National Women’s Political Caucus in 1971. “Unbought and Unbossed” was her motto.
After leaving Congress, Chisholm joined the faculty at MHC from 1983-1988, as a professor in the sociology and anthropology departments. She taught Congress as a Complex Organization, the Social Roles of Women, Urban Sociology and the Black Woman in America. Chisholm had urged her students not to wait for a seat at the table, but to bring their own chairs. She hoped her actions would inspire, opening the path for others.
Previously, in 1981 while still in Congress, Chisholm was invited to give the Commencement address at Mount Holyoke: “Do not assume that you are powerless, that you cannot make an impact,” she said. “Many of the great endeavors throughout history have resulted from the actions of and commitment of one individual.”