There was a time in America when Black politicians spoke truth to power and were willing to clearly identify with the racial identity of their community. This was a time when being “post-racial” was not an option. Immediately after the Civil Rights Movement, Shirley Chisholm rose to a position where she dared challenge the notion that a Black women had no place in Presidential politics. In 1968 Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress from New York’s 12th congressional district. In 1972 she became the first the African American major party candidate for the office of the President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic nomination.
The video below illustrates the type of political courage and racial integrity Shirley Chisholm maintained. In comparison to Chisholm, its interesting to note how the effort to seem “race-neutral” and avoid the specific concerns of the Black community is such a hallmark of modern Black politicians, especially when compared to Shirley Chisholm’s clear unapologetic Black pride. Today’s Black politicians have much they could learn from this sister. Sadly, many of them run so far from identifying with the Black community it becomes difficult to recognize if they are mere tokens in Black face, or truly working for the betterment of society overall.
