Monday’s signing in the U.S. Capitol by Vice President Kamala Harris of the Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act posthumously awarded Chisholm with the highest award Congress can bestow – in commemoration of her accomplishments, activism, and legacy.
Rep. Chisholm’s legacy was always deeply entwined with the activism and energy of the National Organization for Women (NOW). She was one of the original 28 co-founders of NOW and was NOW’s first presidential endorsement in 1972.
When she announced her campaign, she said, “I am not the candidate of Black America, although I am Black and proud. I am not the candidate of the women’s movement of this country, although I am a woman and I am equally proud of that. I am the candidate of the people of America, and my presence before you now symbolizes a new era in American political history.”
The Congressional Gold Medal is an overdue recognition of a champion for racial and gender equity. We all stand on Shirley Chisholm’s mighty shoulders.
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