Let Us Pull Together All Our Different Splinter Groups Together
Artist Unknown
Offset, 1972
United States
8161
Much attention is being focused on the anticipated selection of Kamala Harris as the first woman to head the ticket of one of the two major political parties in this country—and she is a woman of color. Over 50 years ago, another African American woman vied for this role. CSPG’s Poster of the Week is from the 1972 presidential campaign, when Shirley Chisholm (1924 – 2005) ran for President.
Chisholm was a politician, educator, and author. In 1968, she became the first Black woman elected to Congress, and represented New York’s 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. On January 25, 1972, she became the first major-party Black candidate for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Not surprisingly, discrimination followed Chisholm’s quest. She was blocked from participating in televised primary debates, and after taking legal action, was permitted to make just one speech.
Chisholm, a founder of the National Women's Political Caucus, supported legalized abortions and the Equal Rights Amendment throughout her congressional career. She fought for spending increases for social services such as education and health care, and for reductions in military spending. She was a vocal opponent of the draft—discussions about reviving the draft for men and women are currently being discussed by both Republicans and Democrats!
We can’t afford to hope that Harris will be as progressive as Chisholm—we must organize to make sure that she is.
Definitions:
"Robber Barons" was a derisive term for the nineteenth-century capitalists who built their fortunes using monopolistic, unethical, and exploitative business practices.
Contemporary robber barons most often refer to tech moguls heading companies like Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon—not only for the enormous wealth they've accumulated, but also for their monopolistic business practices, and exploiting their workers and consumers.
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