President Obama will honor Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday. Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to congress in 1968. In 1972, Chisholm became the first Black women to run for president.
Brooklyn-born Chisholm served seven terms in Congress. She passed away in 2005.
Chisholm has become an icon for her fearlessness. In 2014, she as honored by the US Postal Service with a stamp.
Her memoir, Unbought and Unbossed
, recounts her bid for the presidency and the trials she faced in her life and her political career.
Chisholm's niece will accept the award on her behalf.
, recounts her bid for the presidency and the trials she faced in her life and her political career.Watch the 1969 TV special, The Irrepresible Shirley Chisholm.
