Shirley Chisholm Research Paper

Our leaders have to be encouraging and inspiring to the people. People like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass are what our leaders should strive to be today. These people always put others before themselves. That is what a great leader should act

The seemingly endless battle for civil rights was one fought long and hard and during the 20th century a time of fruition occurred that allowed for concrete and tangible progress though the efforts of many, including key black intellectual revolutionaries. The call to freedom, and the fight for civil liberties to be bestowed upon people of color, who for hundreds of years were perceived as subordinate was happening. Change was fought through self-determination, and a burgeoning of powerful ideologies that laid the foundation for movement to be made.

From the beginning, the world was a place of inequality. However, it is possible to change. Through hard work from significant individuals, the world has fought wars and created laws that have led towards equality. The world has developed in many areas such as in gender, sexual, and racial rights. Shirley Chisholm stands as one of these individuals in history that has paved a path to equality. Her Presidential bid, delivered on January 25, 1972, is one moment cemented in history. This paper will analyze that speech by examining her pathos, logos, and ethos.

In John Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage, he defines political courage as one’s willingness to take action on personal ethics, even though it may trigger public criticism, retaliation, and political death. (Kennedy 7) Shirley Chisholm, the first African American Congresswoman used her voice to advocate for racial minorities, women, and the poor. Chisholm was a bold woman who wasn’t afraid to raise current social issues that many avoided talking about. On account of her strong sense of justice, she faced numerous obstacles in her years in office for doing what she believed was in the best interest for our country. Throughout her political career, Chisholm strived for education opportunities and social and economic justice for all.

In history there are a lot of great leaders who stood up for what they believed in and never gave up, such as the books A Mighty Long Way by Carlotta Walls LaNier and Little Rock Girl by Shelley Tougas. In the book there are young leaders who never gave up and had a great impact on young people. 14 year old Carlotta, was in the group with 8 other young teenagers who only wanted to make it to class. Just making it through the door of Central High was a huge relief. In 1957, during the integration in Little Rock Central High school, the media illuminated certain events but showed an inaccurate or incomplete picture of other events.

In the text Shirley Chisholm is taking a stand for women’s rights rather than African American rights. Paragraph 4 it states, “ The unspoken assumption is that women are different.” What Chisholm means by this is that they are treated differently due to their gender. Chisholm believes that it is not always true that women are different. Paragraph 6 states, “But the truth is in the political world I have been far oftener discriminated against because I am a woman than because I am black.” Often people are more discriminated for being a woman rather than an African American. In this case, Chisholm for example, takes more defence being discriminated for being a woman than an African American. In paragraph 7 it states, “Prejudice against women

The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was founded in 1963 to counter the Mississippi Democratic Party which only allowed participation by whites. The party was developed during the Freedom Summer Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, of which Hamer was the vice-chair. In 1964, 40 percent of the population was black, yet they were not allowed to participate in the political system (Bramlett-Solomon 1991, 515). The party registered 60, 000 black voters in the state of Mississippi and after that effort party delegates were sent to the 1964 Democratic Convention.

The most important decision of a leader is the style of leading they decide to use when inspiring others, or providing a vision for the future. By looking at the past, it is proven that some leadership styles are guaranteed to be more effective than others. The leadership style of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X during the Civil Rights provides significant evidence of how different styles of leading can turn out to be a major success or defeat. Malcolm X’s leadership style included using violence to protest against violence and unequal rights, as well as supporting the segregation of African Americans and the whites. Martin Luther King’s style included nonviolent marches and protests against violence, and peacefully fighting for integrating

When you first think of Dolly Parton, what are your first thoughts? Hit musician, multi-millionaire, etc? What about Alvin C. York? Great soldier on the battlefield? The qualities of these great people that should noticed are the ones behind the scenes: impeccable leadership, deep love for their community, and the sheer tenacity to break barriers

The year 1930 was not an easy time to be a woman or a minority, but that never stopped Dolores Huerta. Born on April 10 in Dawson, New Mexico, Dolores is the daughter of Juan and Alicia, who worked as farmers and miners. After moving to Stockton, CA with her mother and siblings, Dolores worked hard to get a degree from the University of the Pacific. Soon after her career as an activist truly began when she “co-founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization, which led voter registration drives and fought for economic improvements for Hispanics” (Michals, 2015). Since she has founded the Agriculture Workers Association, co-founded the National Farmers Workers Association with Casér Chávez, helped organize the 1965 Delano strike of over 5000 grape workers, and served as the Vice President of the United Farm Workers Union.

I recently had the privilege of listening to Leymah Gbowee, from Liberia, Africa, give a talk on her peace and female activism efforts in West Africa. Gbowee is a very down to earth soul. She started her talk off asking if she should sit or stand and decided to sit and, in her words, “Rest my aching bones and let this be a conversation.” Leymah was born in Monrovia, Liberia and grew up as a child and young woman living with her parents and sisters when the 1st Liberian Civil War broke out. She started out as a trauma counselor treating child soldiers and went on to social work school to become a Social Worker. It was her work in leading a women's peace movement that brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003 and she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her efforts.

Ida Bell Wells-Barnett commonly known as Ida B Wells was one of the nation 's most vocal anti-lynch activist of her time.(Steptoe) It all started when three of her African American friends were lynched after they opened up a store, the People’s Grocery, which competed well with a white owned grocery store nearby. A white mob attacked the People’s Grocery and three white men were injured, the owners of the store were then jailed when they were later broken out and lynched. This infuriated Wells and she wrote after the incident urging African Americans to leave Memphis, “There is, therefore, only one thing left to do; save our money and leave a town which will neither protect our lives and property, nor give us a fair trial in the courts, but takes us out and murders us in cold blood when accused by white persons.” This caused some 6,000 African-Americans to leave Memphis while others started boycotts on white businesses.(Wikipedia)