By: Matthew Wills

Shirley Chisholm made history as the first black female U.S. Representative, elected in 1968 by the voters of New York’s 12th Congressional District. Then she did it again as the first major-party black candidate for President in 1972. She was also the first female Democratic Party candidate for that office (Senator Margaret Chase Smith had run as a Republican in 1964).

Chisholm (1924-2005) set the precedent for both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton [and Kamala Harris, Corey Booker, and Deval Patrick]. But what do all of Chisholm’s firsts actually mean?  Find out HERE.