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.
Shirley Chisholm was a crucial figure in Black politics, and the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. She defeated civil rights leader James Farmer on November 5, 1968, and served 7 terms in the House of Representatives till 1982. Also, she was the first woman and person of color to run for President. Chisholm is a model of independence and honesty and has championed several issues including civil rights, aid for the poor, and women 's rights.
The major role played by African American women in the reconstruction era is revised and illustrated in Tera W. Hunter’s To Joy my Freedom and Elsa Barkley Brown’s article Negotiating and Transforming the Public Sphere: African American Political Life in the Transition from Slavery to Freedom. Both documents analyze the participation and involvement of black women in social and political activities inside of their communities.
Margret Feury, most called her Peggy, was born in 1924 on the day of July 30. She was born in Jersey City in New Jersey. Her mother was Irish, but she was born in the United States with her sister. She went to Barnard University in New York City. Margret Fuery had a sleeping disorder called narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a disorder that causes your sleep control to be abnormal. This disease caused her to have daytime sleepiness. When these sudden narcoleptic episodes would happen this is a sleep attack. This can happen during everyday activities such as acting in the case of Mrs.Fuery. This made created a huge derailing of her career. When these attacks happened, she was in danger of hurting herself and others. She may have been diagnosed around the age of 25. That is around the age that people discover that they have narcolepsy. That is also the prime years for an actor. At that time, she was still working on Broadway as an actor. This sudden change in life style was probably one of the reasons why she left the acting business and moved to being an acting teacher. She had been in the acting world for so long that she was able to teach the next
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.
Project Report: Oral History and the History of the Civil Rights Movement - Kim Lacy Rogers, The Journal of American History, Vol. 75, No. 2 (1988), pp. 567-576
Although some people might argue that Shirley Chisholm does not demonstrate leadership qualities, a closer examination proves that the former congresswoman was a strong leader because of her independence, perseverance,and willingness to take risks.
One of the most outstanding figures of the Black Feminism, Anna Julia Cooper, fought irresistibly for the black women`s rights. Because of her stance, she was often called “the voice of the South” (Rosser-Mims, 2010). She argued that a black woman “is confronted by both a woman question and a race problem, and is as yet an unknown or an unacknowledged factor in both” (Cooper, 1969). African American women have to struggle with discrimination against their race and, at the same time, they have to fight for recognition in their workplaces where leadership positions are usually occupied by men. Cooper wanted to prove that women can succeed in every spheres of life and should be treated equally with men. During one of her speeches, she stated that
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" ("Eleanor Roosevelt"). Eleanor Roosevelt believed the beauty of her dreams, followed through with them and became an outstanding First Lady who fought to change women's and civil rights. Eleanor Roosevelt has positively changed modern society by changing the role of the First Lady and by fighting for political and social change for women's and civil right.
In 1974 Shirley Chisholm was picked to be the keynote speaker at a national conference for black women at the University of Missouri. In her speech "The Black Woman in Contemporary America" Chisholm expresses to her audience that black women are not interested in being addressed as "Ms." or in gaining more control over things than males, but rather African American women's top priority is the well-being of their families and communities. Being that this speech was giving during the era of the Civil Rights movement, Chisholm criticized white feminist.While she went into depth of how important it is for black and white women to unite around issues such as equal treatment, women's rights, and better job opportunities. The main focus of this speech
The article Bloody Terrain: Freedwomen, Sexuality and Violence during Reconstruction was written by Catherine Clinton, who is a teacher in the Afro-American Studies Department at Harvard University. In her article, she addresses the mistreatment of freedwomen during the period of Reconstruction as well the legal injustice inflicted upon them. This article was to inform the reader of these transgressions and represent the full history of the Reconstruction period.
Shirley Chisholm was an American politician, educator, and author. In 1968, she became the first African-American woman elected to the United States Congress, and represented New York 's 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. On May 21, 1969 Washington D.C Shirley Chisholm delivered a speech to the United States House of Representatives about equal rights for women. Being an African American woman, Shirley personally was able to relate to the speech she gave. Based on her own personal proof and fueled by experience, her “Equal Rights for Women” speech was very persuasive. Chisholm’s speech is centered on equality which is fitting with the other values she was known for fighting for such as: minority education and employment opportunities.
Wilma Rudolph once said, “Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle. And I know what struggle is.” Wilma Glodean Rudolph, born prematurely on June 23, 1940, was an incredible woman. (Sanders, 2015). Born in a family of 22 kids, Rudolph had an extremely unwealthy home and life. She had many diseases, but the one that left her disabled was polio. Eventually, she got over polio, and became the fastest woman in the world. Wilma Rudolph was an Afrian Amerian woman that persisted to overcome polio. She created courage and inspiration, and illuminated the world by becoming the fastest woman in the world.
To be specific, she situates the imminent feminist struggle by highlighting the legacy of slavery among black people, and black women in particular. “Black women bore the terrible burden of equality in oppression” (Davis). Due to her race, her writing focuses on what she understood and ideas that are relevant to black females. Conversely, since white men used black women in domestic labor and forcefully rape these individuals. These men used this powerful weapon to remind black women of their female and vulnerability. Black feminism issued as a theoretical and practical effort demonstrating that race, gender, and class are inseparable in the social worlds we inhabit. We need to understand the interconnections between the black and women’s