Speak Up, Speak Out!: The Extraordinary Life of Fighting Shirley Chisholm

by Tonya Bolden Narrated by Marcella Cox

Overview

From award-winning author Tonya Bolden comes a biography of the first Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Black woman to run for president with a major political party: Shirley Chisholm. 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.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

03/01/2022

Gr 6–10—Shirley Chisholm is largely known for being the first Black candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United States, and the first woman to run for the Democratic party's nomination. This slim but thorough biography of the Brooklyn native proves that she was making a difference in the lives of others long before and long after. Raised by working-class immigrant parents from Barbados, Chisholm was taught to fight for what was best—for herself, her family, and her community. That education led her to successes as a teacher, a New York State Assemblywoman, and in 1968, the first Black woman elected to Congress. Never afraid to take a position that would cost her allies, she unapologetically advocated for the needs of the mostly Black Bed-Stuy neighborhood. Bolden uses her masterful historian skills to narrate the details of Chisholm's life and career, presenting the political and social context for the politician's accomplishments. The wide margins, short chapters, and attention-grabbing chapter headers and openings make this title accessible and engaging. The author uses quotes from family, mentors, news coverage, and more to give readers a tangible sense of Chisholm's confident, resolute, and defiant personality. Bolden adeptly presents the unique struggle that Chisholm had as a woman and a Black person fighting for a historic win. She also doesn't hesitate to present her subject's faults. Chisholm didn't win the presidency in 1972, but during her 14 years in Congress, she had a significant impact on programs that give federal aid to women, children, the elderly, and veterans. VERDICT Purchase this engaging biography to fill too-wide gaps in American history.—Shelley M. Diaz

Kirkus Reviews

2022-01-12
A comprehensive biography of Shirley Chisholm’s political career.

Born in the U.S. to Bajan immigrants in 1924, “Fighting Shirley Chisholm” was raised and educated in both Barbados and the United States. As a teacher and administrator, she labored to improve the welfare of children in New York and championed legislation that supported low-income families and disadvantaged groups all over the country. Dedicated and unrelenting in her passion to serve “the workaday folk who make up most of the nation,” Chisholm worked her way up to becoming a congresswoman. The book describes how she was forced to battle racism and sexism en route to becoming the first Black person to seek a major party’s nomination for president of the United States. Readers will learn how Chisholm navigated an educational and political system bent on keeping women like her disempowered. The strength of Bolden’s skill as a researcher is evident; chapter by chapter, she provides succinct but critical context around the motivations and movements of Chisholm’s political career. A foreword by Stacey Abrams helps establish that Chisholm’s legacy is one of political innovation as someone who forged a path for others to follow. This informative book has an engaging narrative structure. The use of repetition and inclusion of memorable pearls of wisdom attributed to Chisholm add a poetic tone.

An insightful and focused profile of a political trailblazer. (maps, author's note, bibliography, photos) (Biography. 12-14)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178693162
Publisher:	National Geographic
Publication date:	01/04/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

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