The top rung of the ladder
Title
The top rung of the ladder
Description
Elmer Bushnell drew this ladder in August 1920. At the top is the Presidency. We will get there. Victoria Woodhull announced in 1872; in 1884 Belva Lockwood was the 1st woman to run a full campaign. Kamala Harris deliberately echoed Shirley Chisholm’s 1972 race. Let’s review.🧵
Chisholm’s motto “unbought and unbossed†dates to the beginning of her political career in the NY state legislature. When elected to Congress in 1968 she was the only woman in the freshman class, and the 1st African American Congresswoman ever.
She championed the #ERA, education, child nutrition & many other progressive programs over seven terms in Congress. Chisholm, Bella Abzug, Patsy Mink + Barbara Jordan were the Squad of their day - when there were 16 women in Congress total.
Chisholm launched her presidential campaign in a field that included segregationist George Wallace. She sued to be included in a TV debate, during which she was asked whether she would settle for VP. She answered crisply: “I could be President of this country. Believe it or not.â€
People of all races & genders supported her. She fought all the way to the convention, winning 10% of the delegates on a shoestring budget. She would have been at least as strong a Presidential candidate as George McGovern, who won only one state against Richard Nixon.
Her response to doubters? “If you can’t support me, or you can’t endorse me - then get out of my way.†Chisholm asked to be remembered not as a first, but as a 20th century woman who was a catalyst for change. #Vanguard #19thAmendmentÂ
Chisholm’s motto “unbought and unbossed†dates to the beginning of her political career in the NY state legislature. When elected to Congress in 1968 she was the only woman in the freshman class, and the 1st African American Congresswoman ever.
She championed the #ERA, education, child nutrition & many other progressive programs over seven terms in Congress. Chisholm, Bella Abzug, Patsy Mink + Barbara Jordan were the Squad of their day - when there were 16 women in Congress total.
Chisholm launched her presidential campaign in a field that included segregationist George Wallace. She sued to be included in a TV debate, during which she was asked whether she would settle for VP. She answered crisply: “I could be President of this country. Believe it or not.â€
People of all races & genders supported her. She fought all the way to the convention, winning 10% of the delegates on a shoestring budget. She would have been at least as strong a Presidential candidate as George McGovern, who won only one state against Richard Nixon.
Her response to doubters? “If you can’t support me, or you can’t endorse me - then get out of my way.†Chisholm asked to be remembered not as a first, but as a 20th century woman who was a catalyst for change. #Vanguard #19thAmendmentÂ
Creator
Daily Suffragist
Source
Date
11/08/2020
Files
Collection
Citation
Daily Suffragist, “The top rung of the ladder,” Daily Suffragist, accessed April 20, 2024, https://dailysuffragist.omeka.net/items/show/480.