When I learned that Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman in Congress, spent part of her life in the Town of Amherst, it struck me that there should be some memorial to her legacy here in the Town. The proposal to change the name of the Amherst Main Library on Audubon to the Honorable Shirley Chisholm Library, sponsored by Councilwoman Angela Marinucci, is commendable, appropriate and, in my view, long overdue. Chisholm was not only a trailblazing figure in American history, but was an educator and advocate for children and families.

Shirley Anita Chisholm was born in Brooklyn on Nov. 30, 1924, the oldest of four daughters of immigrant parents from Guyana and Barbados. She graduated from Brooklyn Girls’ High in 1942 and, in 1946, graduated cum laude from Brooklyn College, where she won awards as a member of the debate team. After graduation, Chisholm worked as a nursery school teacher and later earned a master's degree in early childhood education from Columbia University. Throughout the 1950’s and 60’s, she became politically active in the areas of education and social justice, joining local chapters of the League of Women Voters, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Urban League.

In 1964, Chisholm was elected to the New York State Assembly. In 1968, she was the first African American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives. There, Chisholm introduced more than 50 pieces of legislation and continued to advocate for education, families, racial justice and gender equality, as well as for ending the Vietnam War. Additionally, she served on the Agriculture and Education Committees before becoming the first Black woman – and the second woman in history – to serve on the powerful House Rules Committee.

In 1972, Chisholm became the first African American woman to run for President of the United States. She did not see herself as a candidate of Black America or of the women' s movement, but as a candidate for the people. Though she was able to gain a following of students, women and minorities, Chisholm’s campaign was under-financed and faced pushback both from the party establishment and the predominantly male Congressional Black Caucus. Ultimately, Chisholm entered 12 primaries and gained the votes of 152 delegates – 10% of the total.

Shirley Chisholm continued to serve as a member of Congress until her retirement in 1983. For several years, Chisholm and her husband, Arthur Hardwick, a former NYS Assemblyman from Buffalo, resided on Crestwood Lane in Amherst and were active in several civic organizations, including the NAACP. Shirley Chisholm died in 2005 and was laid to rest with her husband at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo. The inscription on her grave is her campaign slogan – “Unbought and Unbossed.”

The Town Board will hold a public hearing on the renaming resolution on Monday, December 1 at 3:00 p.m. at Town Hall. I hope this resolution gets the support it deserves and I look forward to joining my partners in Town government in honoring this outstanding woman who called Amherst her home. If you have any suggestions, or any questions or concerns about other community issues, please feel free to contact my office at 716-634-1895 or McMahonK@nyassembly.gov.