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Classroom · Grades 6–12

Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm challenged the seniority system of Congress and the machines of her own party, proving that a Black woman could compete for national power on her own terms.

Lesson at a Glance

Grades
Grades 6–12
Time
One class period (20–40 minutes)
Standards
NCSS Themes 6 (Power, Authority, and Governance) and 10 (Civic Ideals and Practices); C3 D2.Civ.2, D2.Civ.8, D2.His.3
Reading
Shirley Chisholm (profile)

Big Idea

Shirley Chisholm challenged the seniority system of Congress and the machines of her own party, proving that a Black woman could compete for national power on her own terms.

Before Class

Students read the profile of Shirley Chisholm, including the Key Dates and Sources.

Discussion Questions

  1. What did Chisholm mean by “unbought and unbossed,” and why did that message appeal to voters in her district?
  2. Chisholm objected to her first committee assignment. Was that risky? What did she accomplish once she used the assignment she had?
  3. Chisholm won only 152 delegate votes in 1972. Was her campaign a failure or a success? By what measure?
  4. Some Black male politicians criticized her emphasis on sex discrimination. Why was it hard to build coalitions across the civil rights and women’s movements?
  5. Chisholm visited George Wallace in the hospital. What does that gesture say about her politics, and why did it anger some supporters?

Activity

Show the 1972 “Chisholm for President” poster and the January 1972 announcement photograph. Students list the words, images, and choices on the poster and discuss who it was designed to reach. Then, using the profile, small groups each take one of Chisholm’s congressional priorities (food stamps and WIC, minimum wage for domestic workers, opposition to Vietnam War spending, the Equal Rights Amendment) and draft a thirty-second campaign message in her voice. Groups present, and the class discusses which messages would have built the broadest coalition in 1972. (30–40 minutes.)

Primary Sources

Cite this page
MLA
“Classroom lesson: Shirley Chisholm.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/classroom/shirley-chisholm/.
APA
Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Classroom lesson: Shirley Chisholm. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/classroom/shirley-chisholm/
Chicago
Black-History.com Editors. “Classroom lesson: Shirley Chisholm.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/classroom/shirley-chisholm/.
Editorial Note

By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.

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