1 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff Mom Never Told You from House Supports 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Kristen 3 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: and I'm Caroline and Caroline. You know those times when 4 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: we are researching for stuff Mom Never Told You and 5 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: we learn about a woman that excites us and inspires 6 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: us so much a it's give me goose bumps right now, 7 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: and we can't wait to talk about it in the 8 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: podcast studio. But also we just want to tell everyone 9 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: about her, like uh, Polly Murray, Shirley Chisholm, I mean, 10 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: in such a political time as this, reading about Shirley 11 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: Chisholm was such a breath of fresh air, but also 12 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:11,199 Speaker 1: a little bit of a disappointment that she's not still 13 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: around for me to uh hug yeah, call up on 14 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: the telephone, thank yeah, write a number of thank you 15 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 1: letters to just for just for everything, because y'all, Shirley 16 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: was a badass and you need to know who she is, 17 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: and you need to tell everybody you know about who 18 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: she was. Yeah. Unfortunately for all of us, she was 19 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: a woman ahead of her time. I mean fortunately because 20 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: we have such a great story to tell about her, 21 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: but unfortunately because well, being so ahead of her time, 22 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: she was sort of kept out of the positions that 23 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: she would have done so much great work in. And so, 24 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: of course, Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman 25 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: in Congress and the first black woman to run from 26 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: major party's nomination for president, among many many other firsts. 27 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 1: But something that's really kind of beautiful and poetic about 28 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: her is that in an interview in her later years, 29 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: she would say, when I die, I want to be 30 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: remembered as a woman who lived in the twentieth century 31 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: and who dared to be a catalyst for change. I 32 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: don't want to be remembered as the first black woman 33 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: who went to Congress, and I don't even want to 34 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: be remembered as the first woman who happened to be 35 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: black who ran for the presidency. I want to be 36 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 1: remembered as a woman who fought for change in the 37 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: twentieth century. And so this episode is sort of a 38 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: love letter too, surely, to not only educate you our listeners, 39 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: and to educate ourselves, and to provide this sort of 40 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: inspirational figure for women in politics and in this country 41 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: in general, but really to honor her memory and to 42 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: tell you her story and part of us honoring her 43 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: is really diving into her complexity, her passion, and her 44 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: brilliance that history just has not given her enough credit for. 45 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: We need to know more about Shirley than the things, 46 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: the individual things that she accomplished. We need to know 47 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: how and why she did that. Um. And also, I mean, 48 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: surely it's just fabulous for her gift of gab. Yeah, 49 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,119 Speaker 1: some of her quotes, like I don't know, I mean, 50 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: we literally could deliver this entire podcast, and just surely 51 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: Chisholm quotes because she was such an amazing figure for 52 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: women in general. She was a staunch feminist. In addition 53 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: to being proud of her blackness, she was also proud 54 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: of her woman nous um And she said at one point, 55 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: the emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when 56 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: the doctor says it's a girl. How ahead of her 57 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: time is that? You know who quote Shirley Chisholm quite 58 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: a lot when he's talking about his own feminism is 59 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 1: President Barack Obama, that's right, who also posthumously awarded her 60 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and which says so 61 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: much about the respect and admiration that he has for her, um, 62 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: which just makes me makes me already missed him being 63 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: in office. Um. But let's go back to Brooklyn in 64 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty four. Surely Anita st Hill was born on 65 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 1: November twenty of that year in Brooklyn to Charles st Hill, 66 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: who was a factory worker from Guiana, and Ruby Seal 67 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: sat Hill, who was a seamstress from Bados. And surely 68 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 1: it was the oldest of four daughters. Yeah, so she 69 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 1: was around a lot of amazing women's no surprise that 70 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: she grew up like all pro lady power um. But 71 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: from the age of three to ten she actually lived 72 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: on her grandparents farm in Barbados in order to get 73 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: a British education. Her parents remained back in Brooklyn. They 74 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,679 Speaker 1: were working to make a living in the bed Stye 75 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: neighborhood during the Depression, and they basically figured like, here 76 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: you can go live a happy, wonderful life with your grandparents, 77 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: getting an education while we work here. And so once 78 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: she came back to Brooklyn, she aces public school and 79 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: ends up getting accepted to Oberlin and Vassar. She opts 80 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: to go to Brooklyn College on scholarship. And here we 81 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: see one of the first instances, and I love to 82 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: talk about mentors and teachers and things like that on 83 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: the podcast to show how kids get inspired to do things. Obviously, 84 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: she was not a kid at the point that she 85 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:04,239 Speaker 1: was at college, but her political science professor, Lewis wars 86 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 1: Off encouraged her to consider a career in politics because 87 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: of her quote, quick mind and debating skills. But even 88 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: at the time, Shirley's talking to professor Lewis and she says, 89 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 1: you know, I'm not so sure because I've got this 90 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: double handicap. That was her quote. I've got this double 91 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: handicap of being both black and a woman. But of 92 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,359 Speaker 1: course that double handicap doesn't stop her from being active 93 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: in college. She joins the debate team and win. A 94 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: social club on campus denies black students entry. She starts 95 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: her room. It's called Apothia, and Apothia actually stood for 96 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: in pursuit of the highest in all? Can we start 97 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: an Apathia club? Can we can we get a chapter? Yeah, 98 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: I don't know how you do that, but I think 99 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 1: we'll just start with a framed portrait of Shirley Chisholm 100 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: and a bottle of water. Um. So from there, in 101 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: nine six, Shirley graduates cum Laudie with a sociology degree, 102 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: and she begins working as a nursery school teacher. A 103 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: few years later, in nineteen forty nine, she marries Conrad Q. Chisholm, 104 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: who's a private investigator. Uh. And in ninety two she 105 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: gets her master's in early childhood education from Columbia while 106 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: working as a teacher and ends up becoming the director 107 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: of two daycare centers, and early childhood education ends up 108 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: becoming her entry point into politics. Yeah, basically because a 109 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: couple of years later, in nineteen sixty, she becomes a 110 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: consultant to the New York City Division of Daycare. So 111 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: there you see her straddling that line of public life 112 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: and also still being in the education world. And so 113 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: around this same time, Shirley has joined a local Democratic 114 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: club that had been working really hard to root out 115 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: the white leaders of the Bedstine neighborhood, who they said 116 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: were ignoring black residents who were the majority in that neighborhood. 117 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: And they made a wonderful decision that ended up being 118 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: terrible for them. But in order to shut her up, 119 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: like God, this woman with her confidence and smarts and 120 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: brilliance to shut her up, they put her on the 121 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: board of directors and she's like, yeah, okay, that's gonna 122 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,319 Speaker 1: shut me up. She surely, so of course she doesn't. 123 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: They end up removing her from the post because she 124 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: was so vocal and so active in the community. They 125 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 1: were like, oh, we did the exact wrong thing. They 126 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: couldn't handle the Chisholm. They you can't handle the Chisholm 127 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: and uh. In nineteen sixty two, the group actually got 128 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: a black man elected to the State Assembly, Thomas R. Jones. 129 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: But in nineteen sixty four, Jones actually decides, Hey, I'm 130 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: going to run for a judge ship. So the community 131 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: was like, hey, you know that surely woman, we like her. 132 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: So she ends up replacing Jones, making her the second 133 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: ever African American woman elected to the New York State Legislature. 134 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,319 Speaker 1: Now keep in mind, if you've listened to our previous 135 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: podcast episode on arch conservative anti feminist Phillis schlaf Lee, 136 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty four is the year her star starts to 137 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: rise because she helped get racist, anti civil rights un 138 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: activist Verry Goldwater as the Republican nominee for president running 139 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: against Lyndon B. Johnson, who beat Goldwater in the election. 140 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: So she's elected to the New York State Legislature, and 141 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: she has two bills she is especially proud of, one 142 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: of which established a program to help disadvantage high schoolers 143 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: go to college, and one that changed the practice of 144 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: revoking tenure for teachers who got pregnant. So you can 145 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: already see from the get go at the state level, 146 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: Sureley is out to work for the people. Yeah. I 147 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: I the fact that so early in her career she's 148 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: managing to accomplish things like this, that this is what 149 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: she's pushing for, and this will remain the type of 150 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 1: thing that she pushes forth throughout her political career. I mean, 151 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 1: it just warms my cold dead heart, basically. Yeah. And 152 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: I mean, and the thing is she's good at it. 153 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: She's very good at what she's doing. So in Surely 154 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:44,239 Speaker 1: who is not one to just let history pass her by, 155 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: she says, you know what, I want to run for Congress? Yeah, yeah, exactly. 156 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: And it's sort of a perfect storm of things that 157 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: convince her to run. Because there had been this court 158 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: ordered redistricting that had carved out a brand new Brooklyn district. 159 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:05,199 Speaker 1: UM her bed Stye neighborhood, and the Democrats very specifically 160 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: wanted to send an African American from this new district, 161 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: the twelfth District, to the House of Representatives. And so 162 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: she launches her primary campaign, which she said was strenuous, 163 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 1: and she used the slogan unbought and unbossed, and she 164 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: set herself apart from her three competitors with a super personal, 165 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 1: up close and personal campaigning style. She even said, you 166 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: have to let them feel you. She really got out 167 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 1: there among the people. And in addition to getting out 168 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: there among the people, she also wrote around in an 169 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: open truck with a loudspeaker, I love this. Yeah. She 170 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: um would ride around this truck announcing ladies and gentlemen, 171 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: this is fighting Shirley Chisholm coming through and people loved it. Yeah. 172 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:55,959 Speaker 1: And I would also like to note that unbought and 173 00:11:56,080 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: unbossed would remain her campaign slogan. What I really want 174 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:06,319 Speaker 1: after watching her documentary on Amazon which is called Shirley No, 175 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: which is called Chisholm seventy two, unboughten un bossed, I 176 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: really want to get my hands on one of her 177 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: campaign posters because it's got a picture of her with 178 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: unboughten n bossed and it's really cool, you know that 179 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 1: classic style. Well, so when we get to the general election, 180 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: she's a Democrat and she's up against Republican opponent James Farmer, 181 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 1: who's a solid opponent. I mean, he was a big 182 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 1: figure in the civil rights movement. He was the co 183 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,959 Speaker 1: founder of the Congress for Racial Equality, he was an 184 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: organizer as part of the Freedom Writers, and they even 185 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 1: had similar views on education, housing, employment, the Vietnam War. 186 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: So like, how do you pick? How how does she 187 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,680 Speaker 1: set herself apart? Well, I mean she did it handily 188 00:12:55,800 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: because Shirley ended up winning sixty seven percent the vote. Uh, 189 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: and with that the distinction of being the first black 190 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: woman elected to Congress, and in this case, gender was 191 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: on her side. This would really be the only case 192 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: that gender would be on her side. But what happened 193 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: was James Farmer, this well respected African American man, was 194 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 1: arguing during the campaign that quote, women have been in 195 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: the driver's seat in black communities for too long, and 196 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 1: that he was the right candidate because the district needed 197 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: quote a man's voice in Washington and called her not 198 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 1: only a little school teacher but also bossy. Oh yeah, 199 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: oh and a bossy female. So that's like total m 200 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: R a language, right, um. And Shirley's like, oh, that's 201 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: how you want to play huh okay, So she counters 202 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: all of his sexism by highlighting discrimination against women. She 203 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: also highlights the power of women's organizations in this country 204 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:12,080 Speaker 1: and also her own unique qualifications as being this really 205 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: highly educated educator. Um. And she also points out like, hey, yeah, okay, 206 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: black men have been able to go to Washington, but 207 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: what have what have you accomplished that I can't? I 208 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: can accomplish more. And it helped too that Chisholm was 209 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: from the neighborhood. I mean, she knew the people, she 210 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: was out in her truck, she lived there, she grew 211 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: up there, whereas she portrayed farmer as an outsider since 212 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: he lived in Manhattan. And it also helped that surely 213 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: was fluent in Spanish, so she would make direct appeals 214 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: to the growing Hispanic population in bed sty um. And 215 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 1: it also helped, of course that more than eight percent 216 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: of a neighborhood were registered Democrats, so she did have bowers. 217 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 1: But nonetheless she won. Yeah, she won, and it's incredible 218 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: and like, I wish I weren't as shocked and surprised 219 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: at that as I was. But through so much sminty research, 220 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 1: I'm like, wait, a woman and a woman of color 221 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: beat a man by highlighting sexism well and also beating 222 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: a black man too. I broke my brain. I was like, wait, 223 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: normally women are slammed for victimizing themselves if they talk 224 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 1: about gender discrimination, and but that that's how great she was. 225 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: She even um, and this would be a couple of 226 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: years later, she would even go out door to door 227 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: as a census worker because so many people in her 228 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: bed Stye neighborhood were suspicious of census workers. But there 229 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: she was, as that neighborhood gal, going out and being 230 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: able to really talk to them one on one. Well, 231 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: that's the thing. She literally walked her talk and she 232 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 1: knew what she was talking about. Um. But when she 233 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 1: ends up in Washington, she's still super active, still very outspoken, 234 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: and sticks out like a sore thumb. She says, it 235 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: felt like I was somebody coming out of the moon 236 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: because being not only African American but also a woman 237 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: and the first at that to be elected to Congress, 238 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: and all these guys knew that unbought and on boss 239 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 1: Shirley was coming their way. So they were immediately wary 240 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: of what this loud mouth, bossy female might do. She 241 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: might challenge the establishment. I mean she already beat a 242 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 1: dude in the general election. That's right, yeah, And I 243 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: mean they were right to worry. She said, I have 244 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: no intention of just sitting quietly and observing, which, by 245 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: the way, is the expectation of any junior UH congress 246 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: man or woman who comes in, Like basically, it's your 247 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: first time, You're just gonna sit quietly and observed. She's like, okay, 248 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:07,239 Speaker 1: Like hell, I will. I intend to focus attention on 249 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: the nation's problems. And so in her first floor speech 250 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 1: in March of nine, she slams the Vietnam War. She 251 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: vows to vote against any defense appropriation bill until the 252 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: time comes, she said, when our values and priorities have 253 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: been turned right side up again. And here she is 254 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: actively championing all of those same causes that had always 255 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,480 Speaker 1: been so important to her. She sponsored increases in federal 256 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: funding to extend the hours of daycare facilities, and she 257 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: sponsored a guaranteed minimum annual income for families. She was 258 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: looking out for people like her and people like the 259 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:50,399 Speaker 1: neighbors that she grew up around in Brooklyn. Yeah. She 260 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: also launched the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, 261 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 1: and Children, which probably sounds a lot more familiar by 262 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:03,639 Speaker 1: its acronym WHERE, which provides support for low income pregnant women. 263 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: And she also fought for programs like Headstart and food stamps. 264 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: She championed a bill to ensure domestic workers received benefits, 265 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 1: She fought for immigrants rights, and she helped establish the 266 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:20,919 Speaker 1: National Commission on Consumer Protection and Product Safety. Surely is 267 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 1: out there working for us. Yeah, and she was at 268 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 1: the forefront of overriding President Ford's vito. Now this is 269 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 1: so impressive. She uh served as the primary backer of 270 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 1: a national school lunch bill. So that harkens back to 271 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: our episode on lunch Ladies. Yeah, so she was at 272 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: the forefront of realizing, like, yes, nutrition in schools is important. 273 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 1: We have to feed our kids. A teacher would probably 274 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,440 Speaker 1: know that. A teacher would probably know that. Um. And 275 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: she was the one who led her colleagues in overriding 276 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: Ford's veto on that mess on the President No kidding. Yeah, 277 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: that little school teacher turns out to be a powerful force. 278 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 1: And another one of her causes that was very close 279 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: to her heart and that she argued very strongly for 280 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: was the Equal Rights Amendment. And we are going to 281 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 1: talk about her efforts to get that ratified when we 282 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:33,120 Speaker 1: come right back from a quick break. So the Equal 283 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: Rights Amendment was written by Alice Paul and first proposed 284 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:42,919 Speaker 1: back at the Seneca Falls Convention in nineteen three, and 285 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: it's a very basic proposed amendment stating, quote, equality of 286 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,400 Speaker 1: rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged 287 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 1: by the United States or by any state on account 288 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: of sex. So, of course surely was all about it. Yeah, 289 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:04,360 Speaker 1: I mean, she knew she had to take this on. 290 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:06,960 Speaker 1: She wanted to support the e r A. But she 291 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: also knew that when she got up and spoke about it, 292 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: she would be addressing largely a room of white guys. 293 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: And one thing that she was so stellar at, way 294 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 1: back from her experience as an educator but also coming 295 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: up through the political machine, was being able to address 296 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 1: her audience, to meet them where they were at. And 297 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:29,640 Speaker 1: so she talked to these guys and said, listen, we've 298 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: already overcome so much in terms of religious and political prejudice, 299 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,639 Speaker 1: in this country. We you guys have already done so 300 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 1: much to address like racial discrimination with the Civil Rights 301 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:49,400 Speaker 1: Bill and sixty four, it's time to tackle quote the 302 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:54,719 Speaker 1: most subtle, most pervasive, and most institutionalized form of prejudice 303 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: that exists, sex based discrimination. And so what she does 304 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: in her speech, and we read a paper that basically 305 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 1: dissected her rhetorical style that she uses like a classic 306 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 1: and classical Greek style of delivering a persuasive speech, and 307 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:17,639 Speaker 1: how effective she was. Of course, spoiler, the e r 308 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,959 Speaker 1: A would not be ratified, but she herself was an 309 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:25,440 Speaker 1: effective tool to try to get it ratified. She spells 310 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:30,400 Speaker 1: out the ways that this subtle, pervasive sex based discrimination 311 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 1: harms women and limits their opportunity. She talked about how uh, 312 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:38,960 Speaker 1: sex discrimination relegates women to low wage jobs. It excludes 313 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: them from not only selective service, but from receiving the 314 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: benefits both personal and professional, of serving their country. Her 315 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: argument was not only and this was very important. Her 316 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: argument was not only that like, hey, those military jobs 317 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 1: pay really well, and women should have access to well 318 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: paying jobs, but hey, women love their country too, and 319 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: women deserve the opportunity to serve that country in the 320 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: best way they can, and that is being a member 321 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 1: of the military. She talked about how women were still 322 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 1: barred from some college campuses, kept out of some night jobs, 323 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: and a lot of what she was talking about revolved 324 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: around that idea of benevolent sexism, the stuff, as you 325 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:32,360 Speaker 1: will recall from our last episode, that philished Laughly so 326 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:38,159 Speaker 1: badly wanted to maintain. Surely Chisholm so badly wanted to 327 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:42,920 Speaker 1: deconstruct it. Women, she basically argued, don't need these special 328 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 1: protections and privileges. What they need is the e r 329 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: A to just guarantee a level playing field. Yeah, because 330 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:54,879 Speaker 1: she basically argued, exploitation is exploitation. Sex has nothing to 331 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: do with it if we spell out legally like what 332 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:03,679 Speaker 1: you can't do. And for that reason, the amendment, in 333 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: her words, was necessary to clarify the countless ambiguities and 334 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:13,679 Speaker 1: inconsistencies in the legal system. And so she explained that 335 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:18,920 Speaker 1: laws regarding women's employment, jury service, and access to education 336 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: widely varied from state to state, and so the e 337 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 1: r A, if it were ratified, would have leveled the 338 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: playing field across all fifty states. And get this mishmash 339 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: of gendered laws off the books well, and she's basically saying, like, guys, guys, guys, guys, men, men, 340 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: folk friends, colleagues, countrymen, romans. Like, look, if all of 341 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: this stuff is so different state to state, doesn't that 342 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: just speak to how irrational some of these sexist quote 343 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: unquote protections are. You know, she was saying that no 344 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:01,679 Speaker 1: one would condone exploitation, but what does sex have to 345 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 1: do with it? Working conditions in hours that are harmful 346 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,359 Speaker 1: to women are harmful to men, Wages that are unfair 347 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,440 Speaker 1: to women are unfair for men. And that's like such 348 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 1: a modern feminist refrain that you know, so many people 349 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: make the very real important argument of feminism doesn't only 350 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:24,560 Speaker 1: benefit women or one type of woman. The things that 351 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,359 Speaker 1: feminists fight for can benefit all of us, and that 352 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:31,919 Speaker 1: includes like families, people that Philish Laughly was saying needed 353 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:36,159 Speaker 1: to be protected. Meanwhile, Philish Laughly, as you'll learn about 354 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,719 Speaker 1: in our previous episode if you haven't listened, was fanning 355 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 1: the flames of panic that women might, for instance, be 356 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: drafted to military service. This also you know, being in 357 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:51,640 Speaker 1: a very uh touchy time in terms of the draft. 358 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: But back to fighting, Shirley Chisholm, her speech was clearly 359 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: affect DOV because the day of it, the House approved 360 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 1: the e r A by a vote of three hundred 361 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: thirty four to twenty six. Yeah. But ultimately it was 362 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: not ratified by the number of states that needed to 363 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:19,880 Speaker 1: ratify it to make it the law of the land, 364 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 1: right because Philish Laughlely led the anti feminist crusade that 365 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:30,399 Speaker 1: overturned state ratification um of the amendment and two states 366 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: and then blocked it from being ratified and three other states, 367 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:39,119 Speaker 1: leaving it short of the necessary number of states needed 368 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: to make it a constitutional amendment. But again, let's get 369 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: back to fighting Shirley Chisholm. Yeah, so remember at the 370 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,199 Speaker 1: top of the podcast when we talked about how she 371 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 1: was really vocal in her bed Sty neighborhood about the 372 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 1: white politicians who were doing nothing to help the people 373 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:00,719 Speaker 1: of color in the neighborhood, and to shut her up, 374 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,200 Speaker 1: they were like, let's just put you on the board 375 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: of directors, and how it was like, oh, well, no, 376 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 1: you just launched her into power, Like thank you for 377 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: giving her a voice in a platform, but you guys 378 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 1: are going against uh, your best interests is trying to 379 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: shut her up. Well, when she gets to Congress, her 380 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: male white colleagues try to do the same thing, and 381 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 1: they try to shut her up by assigning her to 382 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 1: the Committee on Agriculture, and she's like, what seriously, the 383 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:34,360 Speaker 1: Committee on Agriculture. I'm from Brooklyn, Okay. So she appeals 384 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: the decision to how Speaker John McCormick, who just basically 385 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:40,199 Speaker 1: pats her on the head and tells her to be 386 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:46,639 Speaker 1: a good soldier. Well, because it traditionally is on the 387 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: junior congress people to basically take the assignment they're given, 388 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: you know, it is the kind of weight your turn thing, 389 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:55,679 Speaker 1: But she really chisen does not want to wait her 390 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: turn because she knows that no one is ever going 391 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: to give it to her. Yeah, so she takes her 392 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:03,520 Speaker 1: complaint directly to the House floor, and as a result 393 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: of her being incredibly vocal uh, she is reassigned to 394 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 1: the Veterans Affairs Committee, which again not her first choice. 395 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 1: But according to a fabulous quote, she says, yeah, but 396 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,880 Speaker 1: there are a lot more veterans in my district than trees. 397 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:23,360 Speaker 1: So she would work with what she had. She wouldn't 398 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:26,639 Speaker 1: just take what she was given, but if she saw 399 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 1: an opportunity, even if it is there's something more adjacent, 400 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: like veterans affairs, she would use that to work for 401 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 1: the people. Um And from nineteen seventy one to nineteen 402 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: seventies seven she served on the Committee on Education and Labor, 403 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: And also in nineteen seventy one she became a founding 404 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and then from seventy 405 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 1: seven to eighty one she served as secretary of the 406 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,879 Speaker 1: Democratic Caucus. And also in seventies seven, she became the 407 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 1: first black woman and the second woman ever to serve 408 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: on the ultra powerful Congressional Rules Committee, and was a 409 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: founding member of the Congressional Women's Congress. So, like we 410 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: said the top of the podcast, Shirley Chisholm has so 411 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: many firsts, racked up, so many first and I think 412 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:18,920 Speaker 1: they're so important to note, not just by virtue of 413 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: the fact that they are first, but to really illustrate 414 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:25,679 Speaker 1: how in it she was, that she was at the 415 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: forefront of all this stuff, because I feel like the 416 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: early days of the Congressional Black Caucus are frequently framed 417 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:34,439 Speaker 1: as like, look at these men doing all of this 418 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,159 Speaker 1: stuff in the interest of the black voter. But she 419 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: was right there, just right there at the front. And 420 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 1: to me, again, that just hearkens back to our episode 421 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 1: on Polly Murray. We're like, hey, she was one of 422 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 1: the founding members of Now. Okay like Now as frequently 423 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: framed as like a middle class white woman thing. You know, 424 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 1: you frequently hear about Betty Friedan, you don't hear about 425 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 1: Polly Murray and the other women of color who were 426 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: there from the get go, And so Shirley Chisholm has 427 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 1: a similar kind of parallel story in that regard well. 428 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,320 Speaker 1: And also when we see her hustle kind of outlined 429 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:10,719 Speaker 1: like this, it makes sense. But oh, yeah, she ran 430 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 1: for president. Yeah, so that timeline that we just gave you, 431 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 1: what's missing in there is that she ran for the 432 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: Democratic nomination for the presidential election of nineteen seventy two. 433 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: And don't think for a second that she didn't face 434 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: constant hurdles. But has that ever stopped her before? No, No, 435 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: And she she knew that there would be hurdles ahead 436 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 1: of her. She once said, I ran because most people 437 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 1: thought the country was not ready for a black candidate 438 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: and not ready for a woman candidate. Someday it was time. 439 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:52,160 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy two to make that someday come. Yes, 440 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: I love that. Surely doesn't wait for tomorrow, she makes 441 00:29:55,760 --> 00:30:00,480 Speaker 1: tomorrow today. Yes, I would campaign for her today. Um. 442 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: And the thing is, like we said at the top 443 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: of the podcast, yeah, she was proudly a woman, she 444 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: was proudly African American, but she believed that she could 445 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: and should represent everyone and then everyone should have a 446 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: voice in politics, and that she was that candidate. She said, 447 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: I'm not the candidate of Black America, although I'm black 448 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: and proud. I am not the candidate of the woman's 449 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: movement of this country, although I know I'm a woman 450 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: and I am equally proud of that. And the thing is, 451 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: She's like here, I am ready to be the candidate 452 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: of the everyman and the every woman. But she still 453 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 1: had people yelling at her on both sides because she 454 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:39,000 Speaker 1: was really discouraged to find that women didn't want her 455 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: to discuss black issues and black people didn't want her 456 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 1: to discuss women's issues. But of course, you know, even 457 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 1: though she was stuck between a rock and a hard 458 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 1: place in that regard, that certainly didn't stop her from 459 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 1: flexing her feminist muscles. One badge of hers or button 460 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: that I am certainly going to have to find on 461 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: eBay and pay a million dollars for shows her face 462 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 1: in the middle of the venus symbol with the text 463 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: to represent all Americans. I mean truly, like Paully Murray 464 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 1: was so committed to intersectionality as well. She she knew 465 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: that that was part of her identity and she couldn't 466 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 1: and didn't want to divorce herself from that um. And 467 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: the thing is, though, the deeper involved she got into 468 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 1: politics and the further her presidential campaign went, the clearer 469 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:41,640 Speaker 1: it became to her that of the double jeopardy status 470 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 1: that she possessed of being both black and female, gender 471 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 1: was what held her back more because even feminists were 472 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: split over her candidacy. And this was the most heartbreaking 473 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 1: part of that Shirley chose Um documentary where you see 474 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:09,920 Speaker 1: women like Bella Abzug and Glorious Steinem start to moonwalk 475 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: slowly away from her. Yeah. So, despite the fact that 476 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: surely Chisholm had a ton of women and a ton 477 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 1: of white second wave feminist women working in her campaign, 478 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: ultimately those heavy hitters like Abzug couldn't support her. And 479 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 1: I mean that that sums up so much about politics 480 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: in general. UM. Basically you had a lot of people 481 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:42,440 Speaker 1: arguing that they needed someone who could actually win UM. 482 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:46,440 Speaker 1: And so despite the fact that Chisholm had founded the 483 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: National Women's Political Caucus with Betty for Dan, with Bella 484 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 1: Abzug and with Gloria Steinham, both Absa and Steinem through 485 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 1: their support behind George McGovern UH, he basically had very 486 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: similar policies and platforms as Shirley Chisholm did. And so 487 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: you had people like abs Aginsteine who were like, I 488 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 1: don't know, I mean, like, it's great that you're a 489 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,360 Speaker 1: woman and a woman of color, and you're really educated 490 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:20,040 Speaker 1: and outspoken, but like, we think McGovern stands away better 491 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,239 Speaker 1: chance of winning. And as women who are trying to 492 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: get what we want for ourselves politically, we need to 493 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:30,840 Speaker 1: try to bet on the winning horse. And as Robert Gottlieb, 494 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:34,800 Speaker 1: who worked on her campaign, talks about in the documentary, 495 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 1: it's not an apples to apples comparison to UH. To consider, well, 496 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 1: if she were running in sixteen, everything would be different, 497 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 1: like how this is inconceivable that it would happen, because, 498 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:52,880 Speaker 1: as Gottlieb says, having a woman run for president was 499 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:56,520 Speaker 1: like having somebody from Mars run for president. I mean, 500 00:33:56,560 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: it was beyond inconceivable at the time. Yeah, and she 501 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 1: surely Chisholm, as you might expect, was so fed up 502 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 1: with this constant refrain. It wasn't just Steynham and abs like, 503 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: it was just about everybody who was reading the news 504 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:17,920 Speaker 1: or watching her campaign. She was so fed up with 505 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:22,200 Speaker 1: this attitude of like, you're great, We're so glad you're 506 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 1: doing this, but we need somebody who can actually win, 507 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 1: because she was like, look at my history. Well, yeah, 508 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:31,640 Speaker 1: because no one was arguing with her politics or against 509 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:35,160 Speaker 1: her politics, or against her accomplishments. They were just like 510 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:41,280 Speaker 1: you are two woman and too black for this to happen. Yeah, 511 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:44,759 Speaker 1: it's it's not realistic because think of the rest of America, 512 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:47,880 Speaker 1: but also like think of how much she'd already overcome 513 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:53,239 Speaker 1: against so many odds. But it seems like oftentimes in 514 00:34:54,040 --> 00:35:00,200 Speaker 1: our society, we love a trailblazer up to a point, 515 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 1: and we'll take one trailblazer, but we don't want the 516 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 1: floodgates to open, you know, And it feels like there's 517 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:08,840 Speaker 1: a lot of that going on where it's like, listen, 518 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: you've already made history. You're the first black woman to 519 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:20,040 Speaker 1: win a seat in Congress. You know, Relax, relax, But 520 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:25,400 Speaker 1: surely she has m did the opposite, And I loved 521 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:30,400 Speaker 1: watching footage of her so angry, so and just so 522 00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:34,320 Speaker 1: just over it where she would say, if you can't 523 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:37,000 Speaker 1: support me, or you can't endorse me, get out of 524 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:39,880 Speaker 1: my way. Yeah, because she had voters, she had reporters, 525 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 1: she had all of these people asking her about like, 526 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:45,200 Speaker 1: why are you staying in You're just taking votes away 527 00:35:45,239 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 1: from mc govern. Because the whole thing there was like 528 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:49,880 Speaker 1: a huge just the same way as in this election cycle, 529 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:53,000 Speaker 1: there were a huge number of Republicans vying for the nomination, 530 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 1: there were a huge number of Democrats in the primary 531 00:35:56,600 --> 00:36:02,920 Speaker 1: race at the time, and so basically you've got people saying, hey, 532 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:06,680 Speaker 1: your politics not that much different from an Edward Muskie, 533 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,400 Speaker 1: not that much different from a George McGovern, you should 534 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: probably just drop out. Like you've done a great job. 535 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,719 Speaker 1: Your politics are on point. You know, you're very outspoken 536 00:36:14,719 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 1: and educated. Uh, but I mean, white America, I don't 537 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:21,800 Speaker 1: know if they can take you. So let let George 538 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:24,759 Speaker 1: McGovern win and get those delegates so that he can 539 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 1: go to the convention and clinch the nomination right, which 540 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:32,680 Speaker 1: absolutely echoes UM a lot of things that Bernie Sanders 541 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:37,760 Speaker 1: supporters heard in this past Democratic primary. UM. And also 542 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:40,719 Speaker 1: this is this is rather reminiscent of well as well. 543 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: She had to sue in order to participate in debates 544 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:50,520 Speaker 1: because people were that quick to dismiss her. She you 545 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:54,400 Speaker 1: know that they didn't even invite her to debates, and 546 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:58,759 Speaker 1: she became There's footage in this documentary you guys have 547 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: to watch it, UM from a television interview that has 548 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 1: several of the Democratic contenders, including Chisholm, on and she 549 00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:14,760 Speaker 1: becomes visibly fed up when the interviewer asked her which 550 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:18,080 Speaker 1: opponent she would support. And it's not that that language 551 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:21,359 Speaker 1: is like anti Shirley Chisholm specifically, because you hear that 552 00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:25,400 Speaker 1: in every race, Like hey, you know, well everyone is 553 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:29,640 Speaker 1: still asks every Republican politician, which will you really support 554 00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 1: Donald Trump? Yeah, well yes and so. But I think 555 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:36,399 Speaker 1: at that point, by the time this interviewer asks her 556 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:41,400 Speaker 1: the question, she's like, seriously, I am still a contender, 557 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:45,239 Speaker 1: Like I'm still in this to win this. And the 558 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:48,680 Speaker 1: thing is, though, I mean, this was a this was 559 00:37:48,719 --> 00:37:52,040 Speaker 1: a dangerous time and a dangerous race. George Wallace, the 560 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:57,840 Speaker 1: segregationist politician, was shot five times and paralyzed from the 561 00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:00,319 Speaker 1: waist down and that's when he ultimately dropped out of 562 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:04,920 Speaker 1: the race. Uh. Sureley Chisholm herself had several attempts on 563 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 1: her life, and in the documentary where she's interviewed years 564 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:11,480 Speaker 1: and years later, she still can't talk about it. It's 565 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:15,399 Speaker 1: still so painful to her that people hated her enough 566 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:17,920 Speaker 1: to want to take her life. There was one man 567 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:20,600 Speaker 1: who was following her around with a knife, but luckily 568 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 1: her security team kept him from getting too close to her. 569 00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:27,759 Speaker 1: But even within the Congressional Black Caucus, which you would 570 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:33,120 Speaker 1: assume would be fully supporting her, Sureley found herself an 571 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:38,480 Speaker 1: outsider because some caucus members had wanted to rally behind 572 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:42,560 Speaker 1: black male candidates from each state who wouldn't be expected 573 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:47,400 Speaker 1: to win, but at the convention, those delegates would be 574 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 1: so scattered that they could then leverage those collective delegates 575 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:56,960 Speaker 1: for those black candidates across those many states. Uh on 576 00:38:57,239 --> 00:39:04,239 Speaker 1: behalf of platform set would um help black the black 577 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:08,879 Speaker 1: population like black voters, so but they couldn't decide like 578 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:12,520 Speaker 1: which ones essentially that they wanted to uh to put 579 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 1: up for the nomination. So Shirley was like, hey, listen, 580 00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:18,520 Speaker 1: let's not wait for someday. Let's make it today. I'm 581 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:21,279 Speaker 1: gonna run, I'll do it. Yeah. At least she was consistent, right, like, 582 00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: let's stop waiting around. Um. And you know, she said, 583 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:28,799 Speaker 1: I am looking to know man walking this earth for 584 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:34,360 Speaker 1: approval of what I'm doing, because basically this journalist had asterlake. Uh. 585 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:37,560 Speaker 1: You know, some of your congressional Black Caucus colleagues, some 586 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:41,320 Speaker 1: of those dudes are a little sore that you're throwing 587 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:43,239 Speaker 1: your hat on the ring. And that's when she was like, 588 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:49,040 Speaker 1: I don't don't care. Um. And you know, a lot 589 00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:53,160 Speaker 1: of those black caucus members were resentful. They thought she'd 590 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:57,759 Speaker 1: sell out black interests for women's interest. Um. A lot 591 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 1: of them considered her color Sian building as betrayal. You know, 592 00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:05,120 Speaker 1: she worked with women black and white, she worked with Hispanic, 593 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:07,719 Speaker 1: she worked with white liberals and welfare recipients. And a 594 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:10,359 Speaker 1: lot of her black colleagues were like, what are you doing. 595 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:14,280 Speaker 1: You're leaving You're leaving your people behind. And in her viewpoint, 596 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:16,880 Speaker 1: it's like no, I'm yeah. She's like I'm five steps 597 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:19,319 Speaker 1: ahead of you. Catch up. Yeah, Like I'm bringing people 598 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:22,879 Speaker 1: together because, like I have already said, gentlemen, I am 599 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:29,120 Speaker 1: everyone's president. And at one point, her Congressional Black Caucus colleague, 600 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:34,160 Speaker 1: Representative Bill Clay, questioned her Sandy during a press conference. 601 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 1: It was getting to that level of sexism. And as 602 00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:40,960 Speaker 1: Shirley later said, black male politicians are no different from 603 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:45,480 Speaker 1: white male politicians. This woman thing is so deep. I've 604 00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:49,600 Speaker 1: found it in this campaign if I ever knew it before. Yeah, 605 00:40:49,640 --> 00:40:53,560 Speaker 1: And a lot of her male Congressional Black Caucus colleagues 606 00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:57,719 Speaker 1: ended up throwing their support just like Steinhum and Abzug 607 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:02,080 Speaker 1: behind people like George mc governed um, And that was 608 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:04,040 Speaker 1: for a lot of reasons. It went back to the 609 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 1: whole belief of, like, we need someone who can actually win. 610 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:09,400 Speaker 1: But if a lot of those men said on camera 611 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:13,200 Speaker 1: in interviews in the documentary, like we need to hitch 612 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:17,040 Speaker 1: our wagon to a star and if we are going 613 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:20,080 Speaker 1: to rise in the ranks of you know, either our 614 00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:24,719 Speaker 1: party or on the national political stage, we need to 615 00:41:24,719 --> 00:41:28,279 Speaker 1: share the spotlight with the guy who's gonna win. That 616 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:31,680 Speaker 1: operative word of course being like that guy right who's 617 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:34,839 Speaker 1: gonna win well, and Sureley did not give up all 618 00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:38,799 Speaker 1: the way to the Democratic National Convention. She knew she 619 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:41,680 Speaker 1: was not going to win the nomination, but she also 620 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:49,080 Speaker 1: knew the potential leveraging power of delegates. So she showed 621 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:52,600 Speaker 1: up with one two delegates, which was more than either 622 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:58,280 Speaker 1: Ed Muskie or Hubert Humphrey. And she was really hoping 623 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:03,040 Speaker 1: for a deadlocked convention in which she could use her 624 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:06,640 Speaker 1: delegates say like, listen, I will break the tie. I'll 625 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:12,120 Speaker 1: throw my delicates to you if you will provide a 626 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:15,080 Speaker 1: black running mate. She also wants to negotiate for a 627 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:17,960 Speaker 1: woman to serve in the cabinet and a Native American 628 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:21,640 Speaker 1: to serve as Secretary of the Interior. Had to talk 629 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:26,320 Speaker 1: about an intersectional politician, because there's footage of her again 630 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:31,680 Speaker 1: saying we need a Native American person as the Secretary 631 00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:36,200 Speaker 1: of the Interior because these were their lands. Yeah, this 632 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:39,400 Speaker 1: was their land. Should they not have a representative in 633 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:45,040 Speaker 1: government who can have a say? But unfortunately George McGovern 634 00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:50,680 Speaker 1: had put together enough delegates to where he didn't need 635 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:55,319 Speaker 1: Shirley's so she didn't really have the chance to break 636 00:42:55,400 --> 00:43:00,920 Speaker 1: that deadlock and negotiate, and much later in if she 637 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:05,040 Speaker 1: would lament the lack of true democracy saying that it's 638 00:43:05,080 --> 00:43:09,560 Speaker 1: more deals and bargains than what people assume democracy is. Yeah. 639 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:15,960 Speaker 1: So here's this powerful, driven woman who, as her record 640 00:43:16,239 --> 00:43:21,640 Speaker 1: clearly shows, wants to act on behalf of families, wants 641 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:27,239 Speaker 1: to help the average American worker, um, wants to do 642 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:32,520 Speaker 1: right by her people in in her country. And she's 643 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:36,920 Speaker 1: getting to this national stage and realizing, Oh, the track 644 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:39,440 Speaker 1: that I've been on where I'm trying to help people 645 00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:43,280 Speaker 1: of all colors and genders and backgrounds, that's not really 646 00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:47,080 Speaker 1: what this is about. It's about it's about that leverage 647 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:50,960 Speaker 1: and about making those deals in back rooms. And it 648 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:54,520 Speaker 1: really seemed like that was distasteful to her. Yeah, because 649 00:43:54,560 --> 00:44:01,560 Speaker 1: it seems at least that surely chosen never out for 650 00:44:02,120 --> 00:44:06,440 Speaker 1: power personal game. She was out for the people, legitimately 651 00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:09,600 Speaker 1: out for the people, hence her campaign tagline of being 652 00:44:09,719 --> 00:44:13,200 Speaker 1: unbought and unbossed. And the thing that I was really 653 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:19,239 Speaker 1: heart and to learn after her failed campaign was that 654 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:23,000 Speaker 1: she was still highly respected. She had made an impression 655 00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:27,640 Speaker 1: on the American public. She returned to Congress a popular figure. 656 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:32,120 Speaker 1: In the nineteen seventy four Gallop Pole, she was listed 657 00:44:32,120 --> 00:44:34,600 Speaker 1: as one of the top ten most admired women in 658 00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:39,799 Speaker 1: America ahead of Jackie Oh and Coretta Scott King. Yeah, 659 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:43,600 Speaker 1: she was tied in sixth place with Indian Prime Minister 660 00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:46,719 Speaker 1: in Dearra Gandhi. It was a popular woman, you know. 661 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:51,360 Speaker 1: She she her love for the people and her desire 662 00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:54,520 Speaker 1: to do right by them, I think really attracted her 663 00:44:54,560 --> 00:44:58,799 Speaker 1: a lot of fans. But the thing is, at the 664 00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:03,880 Speaker 1: same time that Philish Laughly is pushing the right wing 665 00:45:04,239 --> 00:45:10,200 Speaker 1: evangelical Christian bent to the Republican Party, Shirley is becoming 666 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:14,680 Speaker 1: disillusioned by that hard right turn, and in nineteen eighty 667 00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:18,279 Speaker 1: two she announces she will not seek re election, and 668 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:22,440 Speaker 1: one of the reasons was because of the country's conservative 669 00:45:22,440 --> 00:45:25,120 Speaker 1: turn with the nineteen eighty election of Ronald Reagan. And 670 00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:27,400 Speaker 1: she was also at this point super fed up with 671 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:31,600 Speaker 1: being misunderstood. She said she felt that her fellow African 672 00:45:31,600 --> 00:45:35,560 Speaker 1: American politicians did not understand all of those coalition building 673 00:45:35,560 --> 00:45:38,399 Speaker 1: efforts that she had started and maintained over the years, 674 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:39,880 Speaker 1: because she was like, listen, guys, we can't do this 675 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:43,160 Speaker 1: by ourselves, nor can white people do it by themselves. Like, 676 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:46,560 Speaker 1: if we share politics and political ideology, we have to 677 00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:49,360 Speaker 1: work together. And I just think that every step of 678 00:45:49,360 --> 00:45:53,880 Speaker 1: the way. She continued to face these hurdles in her career, 679 00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:57,279 Speaker 1: and by the time the country got so conservative, she 680 00:45:57,360 --> 00:46:00,000 Speaker 1: was like, all right, I'm out. I gotta I got 681 00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:03,919 Speaker 1: to tap out. Yeah, I mean, but she we can't 682 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:08,239 Speaker 1: forget that. She remained in Congress and was reelected up 683 00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:10,319 Speaker 1: until she was finally like, I don't want to be 684 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:16,120 Speaker 1: reelected again. You know. She was a very successful state politician, um, 685 00:46:16,280 --> 00:46:20,520 Speaker 1: and she remained active even after she stepped down. She 686 00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:23,840 Speaker 1: helped co found the National Political Congress of Black Women. 687 00:46:24,400 --> 00:46:28,760 Speaker 1: She taught at Mount Holyoke College in three She also 688 00:46:28,840 --> 00:46:32,160 Speaker 1: campaigned for Jesse Jackson's presidential bids and eighty four and 689 00:46:32,239 --> 00:46:37,680 Speaker 1: eighty eight, and when Bill Clinton nominated her as ambassador 690 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:42,719 Speaker 1: to Jamaica, she was like, thanks, no thanks because for 691 00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:44,759 Speaker 1: health reasons, she she didn't want to take it on, 692 00:46:45,360 --> 00:46:49,760 Speaker 1: and she ended up in classic move, she settled in Florida, 693 00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:53,480 Speaker 1: like you do, uh, and from there she wrote and 694 00:46:53,560 --> 00:46:58,720 Speaker 1: lectured and until she died on January one, two thousand five. Yeah, 695 00:46:58,800 --> 00:47:06,520 Speaker 1: I mean, I am so grateful for what she did 696 00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:09,359 Speaker 1: for voters, what she did for Americans, what she did 697 00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:11,719 Speaker 1: for women and women of color. The fact that she 698 00:47:11,840 --> 00:47:14,520 Speaker 1: was able to so successfully be on the national stage 699 00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:19,440 Speaker 1: and be so vocal um. But it does break my heart. 700 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:23,680 Speaker 1: But she felt so unwelcome finally in politics that she 701 00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:26,880 Speaker 1: was like, I'm done, because she really chose was obviously 702 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:29,000 Speaker 1: not the type of person to back down. So the 703 00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:31,880 Speaker 1: fact that politics at that time were becoming so hostile 704 00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:36,399 Speaker 1: that she was like, I'll just go lecture and get 705 00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:39,080 Speaker 1: out of here. Like that's that's very telling. Yeah. I 706 00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:42,920 Speaker 1: mean because if she were sitting here in the podcast 707 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:48,920 Speaker 1: studio today, I would flip out, um. And then I 708 00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:53,120 Speaker 1: have a hunch she would be a little mystified at 709 00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:57,480 Speaker 1: how celebratory we are, because she said in her autobiography 710 00:47:57,560 --> 00:48:00,319 Speaker 1: quote that I am a national figure because I was 711 00:48:00,360 --> 00:48:03,640 Speaker 1: the first person in one hundred ninety two years to 712 00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:07,920 Speaker 1: be at once a congressman, black and a woman. Proves 713 00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:11,640 Speaker 1: I would think that our society is not yet either 714 00:48:11,800 --> 00:48:15,920 Speaker 1: just or free. And that is the exact reason why 715 00:48:16,040 --> 00:48:20,759 Speaker 1: she says repeatedly that she doesn't want to be remembered 716 00:48:21,400 --> 00:48:26,719 Speaker 1: solely as being the first African American woman elected to 717 00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:29,839 Speaker 1: US Congress. I think she would be so much more 718 00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:33,040 Speaker 1: excited to hear US talk about her record of advocating 719 00:48:33,600 --> 00:48:40,839 Speaker 1: for uh, domestic workers, for immigrants, for women of all colors, um, 720 00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:46,160 Speaker 1: for education and children in this country. Um, you know 721 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:50,560 Speaker 1: that's where she found her power and inspiration. Well. In 722 00:48:50,680 --> 00:48:54,080 Speaker 1: one final quote of hers that this makes me think 723 00:48:54,120 --> 00:48:58,200 Speaker 1: of is sort of another way that she has phrased 724 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:01,120 Speaker 1: the whole thing of you know, I want to remembered 725 00:49:01,200 --> 00:49:03,680 Speaker 1: as someone who fought for change in the twentieth century. 726 00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:06,200 Speaker 1: At one point she also said, I want to be 727 00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:11,920 Speaker 1: remembered as a woman who was herself, you know, I 728 00:49:11,920 --> 00:49:15,319 Speaker 1: mean she she never compromised at all who she was. 729 00:49:16,200 --> 00:49:19,640 Speaker 1: And oh man, if you could just get only you 730 00:49:19,680 --> 00:49:23,960 Speaker 1: could like bottle up Shirley Chishom's character, you know, and 731 00:49:24,080 --> 00:49:26,080 Speaker 1: sell it. I'd take it like a vitamin every day, 732 00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:29,239 Speaker 1: Oh as would I. And so I have really high 733 00:49:29,280 --> 00:49:34,520 Speaker 1: hopes for this biopic that oh yeah, that a Nika 734 00:49:34,640 --> 00:49:37,840 Speaker 1: Nanni Rose is supposedly working on. She's set to produce 735 00:49:37,920 --> 00:49:41,759 Speaker 1: a star in it. And I will definitely eat that 736 00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:47,640 Speaker 1: up if and when it comes to theata's absolutely. Um So, listeners, 737 00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:51,280 Speaker 1: we want to know from you had you known about 738 00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:55,200 Speaker 1: Shirley Chisholm. Are you listening to this episode in Brooklyn, 739 00:49:55,400 --> 00:49:58,320 Speaker 1: possibly in bedside and feeling a whole new significance for 740 00:49:58,400 --> 00:50:02,080 Speaker 1: where you are. I hope you are, so let us 741 00:50:02,080 --> 00:50:04,840 Speaker 1: know your thoughts. Mom Stuff at how stuff works dot 742 00:50:04,840 --> 00:50:07,799 Speaker 1: com is our email address. You can also tweet us 743 00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:11,239 Speaker 1: at mom Stuff podcast or messages on Facebook, and we've 744 00:50:11,239 --> 00:50:13,959 Speaker 1: got a couple of messages to share with you right now. 745 00:50:17,800 --> 00:50:20,239 Speaker 1: I have a letter here from Grace in response to 746 00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:23,759 Speaker 1: our flight attendant episode. Uh. She said. I was a 747 00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:26,839 Speaker 1: flight attendant for just under two years, from early two 748 00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:29,720 Speaker 1: thousand four through late two thousand five. I was happy 749 00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:31,799 Speaker 1: to hear you speak about the profession because it is 750 00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:35,360 Speaker 1: ultra glamorized, but is not at all what people think 751 00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:38,520 Speaker 1: it is. Here are just a few things I have 752 00:50:38,680 --> 00:50:43,399 Speaker 1: to say about my experience. Number one, sexual harassment. I'm 753 00:50:43,480 --> 00:50:46,560 Speaker 1: average looking at best, and I got inappropriate comments from 754 00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:50,000 Speaker 1: passengers as well as pilots. I even had one pilot 755 00:50:50,080 --> 00:50:53,640 Speaker 1: send me a penis pick on an overnight. I told 756 00:50:53,719 --> 00:50:56,480 Speaker 1: him if he ever contacted me again, I would get 757 00:50:56,560 --> 00:51:00,440 Speaker 1: him fired and blacklisted. Sadly, no idea if I could 758 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:04,440 Speaker 1: actually do that. Our airline didn't have weight limits technically, 759 00:51:04,960 --> 00:51:08,239 Speaker 1: but they absolutely did not hire larger people, and we 760 00:51:08,239 --> 00:51:11,200 Speaker 1: were expected to wear heels when working even in airports. 761 00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:14,040 Speaker 1: Heels are so super practical for people who are trained 762 00:51:14,040 --> 00:51:17,320 Speaker 1: in CPR to save your life doing heavy lifting, et cetera. 763 00:51:18,120 --> 00:51:22,200 Speaker 1: Number two schedule, you have to bid for your desired schedule. 764 00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:24,680 Speaker 1: This means you work a different schedule every single month, 765 00:51:24,719 --> 00:51:27,520 Speaker 1: and when you don't have much seniority, you work long trips. 766 00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:29,239 Speaker 1: You're gone for four or five days and ninth at 767 00:51:29,239 --> 00:51:32,799 Speaker 1: a time and never get a regular schedule. It does 768 00:51:32,840 --> 00:51:35,080 Speaker 1: improve his time on the job, but most people don't 769 00:51:35,160 --> 00:51:39,760 Speaker 1: last more than a year. Number three pay. I made 770 00:51:39,880 --> 00:51:43,280 Speaker 1: under eighteen thousand my first year, barely more my second, 771 00:51:43,560 --> 00:51:46,400 Speaker 1: and I didn't sleep at my home for over two 772 00:51:46,480 --> 00:51:49,640 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty days a year. Pay is based on 773 00:51:49,760 --> 00:51:53,480 Speaker 1: hours in the plane. Neither pilots or flight attendants are 774 00:51:53,520 --> 00:51:56,320 Speaker 1: making an hourly wage until the plane door is closed, 775 00:51:56,360 --> 00:51:59,600 Speaker 1: and they stopped getting paid when the door opens. Yeah, 776 00:51:59,760 --> 00:52:02,880 Speaker 1: while you are boarding andy planing, we aren't getting paid. 777 00:52:03,360 --> 00:52:05,680 Speaker 1: This also means the time we take to get to 778 00:52:05,719 --> 00:52:08,080 Speaker 1: the airport early, which is required to check all of 779 00:52:08,120 --> 00:52:11,280 Speaker 1: our safety equipment, et cetera, is time we are getting paid. 780 00:52:11,640 --> 00:52:14,440 Speaker 1: When on overnights we get a super small stipend to 781 00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:18,799 Speaker 1: help with food costs. Number four free flights depending on 782 00:52:18,880 --> 00:52:21,560 Speaker 1: your airline. You don't really fly for free. I got 783 00:52:21,640 --> 00:52:24,279 Speaker 1: discounted flights and the rates were different depending on what 784 00:52:24,360 --> 00:52:27,200 Speaker 1: airline you flew. You were always stand by and they 785 00:52:27,239 --> 00:52:29,960 Speaker 1: oversell all flights and I had to dress up. On 786 00:52:30,080 --> 00:52:32,360 Speaker 1: top of which I didn't make nearly enough money that 787 00:52:32,400 --> 00:52:35,720 Speaker 1: I could afford to travel even at a discount. Number 788 00:52:35,760 --> 00:52:40,600 Speaker 1: five turnover. Because the schedule sucks, the pay sucks, you 789 00:52:40,600 --> 00:52:43,319 Speaker 1: are gone all the time, et cetera. Most people don't 790 00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:45,480 Speaker 1: last longer than a year. Seems like a lot of 791 00:52:45,480 --> 00:52:47,960 Speaker 1: companies do it on purpose because flight attendants makes so 792 00:52:48,120 --> 00:52:50,040 Speaker 1: little their first five years on the job that it 793 00:52:50,120 --> 00:52:53,840 Speaker 1: keeps labor costs lower for them. And this is just 794 00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:56,200 Speaker 1: scratching the surface for me. I know people who stayed 795 00:52:56,200 --> 00:52:58,280 Speaker 1: with it, and once on the job about five years, 796 00:52:58,280 --> 00:53:00,839 Speaker 1: you have more seniority, which improves the job quite a bit. 797 00:53:01,320 --> 00:53:03,719 Speaker 1: I couldn't do it. I was in a relationship and 798 00:53:03,719 --> 00:53:06,719 Speaker 1: the travel made it hard. We've been together eleven years now. 799 00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:09,520 Speaker 1: He rules, and couldn't deal with what felt like a 800 00:53:09,560 --> 00:53:13,160 Speaker 1: really abusive job. If you haven't already, please check out 801 00:53:13,160 --> 00:53:17,120 Speaker 1: the passenger shaming on Instagram. It's a riot. Love your show, 802 00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:20,560 Speaker 1: Thanks for your time and thanks for your insights. Grace. 803 00:53:21,320 --> 00:53:25,120 Speaker 1: I have a letter here from brief subject line trans 804 00:53:25,320 --> 00:53:29,560 Speaker 1: pants suits. She writes, your recent show about pants suits 805 00:53:29,640 --> 00:53:32,839 Speaker 1: struck a particular chord with me. Finding a suit as 806 00:53:32,840 --> 00:53:36,359 Speaker 1: a transgender woman is hard. First, we have to fight 807 00:53:36,360 --> 00:53:39,480 Speaker 1: the societal norm that all trans women wear skirts or dresses. 808 00:53:40,320 --> 00:53:44,399 Speaker 1: Seven type transgender pants suits into Google. My first three 809 00:53:44,400 --> 00:53:47,160 Speaker 1: results are from a site about dealing with transgender victims, 810 00:53:47,160 --> 00:53:50,359 Speaker 1: of assault suits for trans men, and a lawsuit about 811 00:53:50,400 --> 00:53:53,040 Speaker 1: a trans girl in a locker room. That's not helpful 812 00:53:53,040 --> 00:53:56,240 Speaker 1: at all, Google. Then we have to fight other trans 813 00:53:56,360 --> 00:53:59,080 Speaker 1: people saying that we aren't trans enough because we want 814 00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:01,239 Speaker 1: to wear a suit. And finally, we have to find 815 00:54:01,280 --> 00:54:03,719 Speaker 1: someone who is actually decent at fitting a suit onto 816 00:54:03,800 --> 00:54:06,880 Speaker 1: our larger frames. Shout out to my tall and plus 817 00:54:06,920 --> 00:54:10,640 Speaker 1: sized lady friends. And that probably involves custom tailoring, which 818 00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:13,799 Speaker 1: is just another expense. There's a lot of info for 819 00:54:13,920 --> 00:54:16,680 Speaker 1: trans women on how to be hyper feminine, but very 820 00:54:16,680 --> 00:54:18,680 Speaker 1: little for those of us who want to express a 821 00:54:18,719 --> 00:54:21,680 Speaker 1: different side of our femininity. Our society is starting to 822 00:54:21,760 --> 00:54:24,359 Speaker 1: understand that cis gender women can be whatever they want 823 00:54:24,360 --> 00:54:27,040 Speaker 1: to be, so hopefully we can start to admit that 824 00:54:27,080 --> 00:54:30,760 Speaker 1: a trans woman's favorite color doesn't have to be pink. 825 00:54:31,520 --> 00:54:35,120 Speaker 1: And we also offered a helpful ps In response to 826 00:54:35,280 --> 00:54:39,600 Speaker 1: our episode on period tracker apps, she said using natural 827 00:54:39,680 --> 00:54:41,880 Speaker 1: family Planning was the best decision my wife and I 828 00:54:41,960 --> 00:54:45,799 Speaker 1: ever made, enabling us to discover some medical problems that 829 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:48,480 Speaker 1: would have gone unnoticed otherwise but showed up when we 830 00:54:48,560 --> 00:54:51,279 Speaker 1: tracked her cycle. I would definitely give a shout out 831 00:54:51,320 --> 00:54:55,520 Speaker 1: to the Creighton method natural family Planning as the super 832 00:54:55,600 --> 00:54:58,200 Speaker 1: cheap method, nothing more than a piece of paper and 833 00:54:58,280 --> 00:55:02,840 Speaker 1: pen required. Well, thank you, Brief for all that insight 834 00:55:03,040 --> 00:55:07,040 Speaker 1: and love back to you and listeners if you've got 835 00:55:07,040 --> 00:55:09,640 Speaker 1: anything to share with us. Mom stuff at how stuff 836 00:55:09,680 --> 00:55:12,479 Speaker 1: works dot com is our email address and for links 837 00:55:12,480 --> 00:55:14,359 Speaker 1: to all of our social media as well as all 838 00:55:14,360 --> 00:55:17,799 Speaker 1: of our blogs, videos and podcasts with our sources so 839 00:55:17,960 --> 00:55:21,319 Speaker 1: you can learn more about fighting surely Chisholm head on 840 00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:28,520 Speaker 1: over to stuff Mom Never Told You dot com. For 841 00:55:28,680 --> 00:55:31,160 Speaker 1: more on this and thousands of other topics, visit how 842 00:55:31,239 --> 00:55:39,920 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com