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Shirley Chisholm

As the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968, Shirley Chisholm has been an icon for those in the struggle for civil rights and equality for more than a generation. Throughout her career, her advocacy for her community and her historic run for the presidency has rendered her as an inspiration for countless activists, politicians, and community leaders ever since.

Congresswoman Chisholm blazed another civil rights trail, too.

Two years after she was elected to Congress, she chose to become a census-taker (or "enumerator") in New York City. It was not common then for one of the nation's most prominent and powerful legislators to be pounding the pavement across the streets of Brooklyn to take stock of her community, and it certainly isn't common now.

So why did she do it? Because Congresswoman Chisholm knew that the census is about money, power, and respect for all of our communities — especially those that have been historically undercounted.

Read more about Shirley Chisholm in the AMNY Op-Ed by NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin and FPWA Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Jennifer Jones Austin.

Graphics

Shirley Chisholm. The first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968. So concerned about her community being under-counted in the 1970 Census that... Congresswoman Chisholm became a census taker in Brooklyn.
After 400 years of oppression, Black communities were understandably distrustful of opening their doors to the government. But Chisholm became a door knocker because she knew that the Census was the basis on which her community would get: Political Power And Respect.
The census is a Civil Rights issue. Black communities have been historically under-counted in the census, losing out on: Billions for education, housing, transportation, and yes, even healthcare; Full political representation, from City Hall to the halls of Congress.

Download the Shirley Chisholm graphics

Sample Posts

  1. Did you know that, 50 years ago, Shirley Chisholm fought to ensure that Black voices were counted in the census—by becoming a census taker? Commit to being counted in the #2020Census: my2020census.gov #GetCountedNYC

  2. For too long, Black New Yorkers have been undercounted in the census — and it's left our communities underfunded & underrepresented.

    The #2020Census is our chance to get it right. Let's build the future we deserve: My2020census.gov #GetCountedNYC

  3. The census will shape how power & resources are distributed across the country for the next decade.

    Make sure our community gets its fair share: My2020census.gov #GetCountedNYC

  4. The census is about 3 things:

    💸 Money
    💪 Power
    ✊ Respect

    When our communities are undercounted, we lose our fair share of all three.

    Make sure your community is fully counted: My2020census.gov #GetCountedNYC

  5. As we fight on for justice, equity, and for what is rightfully ours, we cannot forget that the 2020 Census is central to this fight.

    When we're undercounted, we're left underfunded & underrepresented.

    Fill it out now: My2020census.gov #GetCountedNYC