SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT! The Extraordinary Life of "Fighting Shirley Chisholm" by Tonya Bolden
ABOUT THE BOOK
Before there was Barack Obama, before there was Kamala Harris, there was Fighting Shirley Chisholm. A daughter of Barbadian immigrants, Chisholm developed her political chops in Brooklyn in the 1950s and went on to become the first Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. This “pepper pot,” as she was known, was not afraid to speak up for what she thought was right. While fighting for a better life for her constituents in New York’s 12th Congressional District, Chisholm routinely fought against sexism and racism in her own life and defied the norms of the time. As the first Black woman in the House and the first Black woman to seek the presidential nomination from a major political party, Shirley Chisholm laid the groundwork for those who would come after her.
Extensively researched and reviewed by experts, this inspiring biography traces Chisholm’s journey from her childhood in a small flat in Brooklyn where she read books with her sisters to Brooklyn College where she got her first taste of politics. Readers will cheer Chisholm on to victory from the campaign trail to the hallowed halls of the U.S. Capitol, where she fought for fair wages, equal rights, and an end to the Vietnam War. And while the presidential campaign trail in 1972 did not end in victory, Shirley Chisholm shows us how you can change a country when you speak up and speak out.
REVIEW
Tonya Bolden has written a superb biography for young people about the remarkable Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress. Following her life from the time her parents immigrated to the United States, met and married, to the time she passed away in 2005. It's clear from the beginning that Shirley Chisholm was a woman of courage and determination. Bolden does a great job of highlighting both the ups and downs of Chisholm's life as she faced discrimination for being Black and for being a woman. She graduated from college which was remarkable and became a teacher. She taught for a while before jumping feet first into politics, a world she wouldn't leave for decades to come. Bolden does a great job providing context for Chisholm's life emphasizing how she stepped up to help make change rather than waiting for someone else to do it. Like all politicians, Chisholm faced her share of criticism for her views and her actions or inactions, and it took its toll. One of the significant things she did was run for the Democratic nomination for president in the 1972 election. I found this biography to be interesting in both its subject matter and its presentation. The back matter is extensive with a bibliography, author's note, and epilogue. As she usually does, Bolden has created a fascinating account of a woman who had the courage and determination to fight for what she believed in.
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