Artifacts
A bold and outspoken Member of Congress, Shirley Chisholm of New York continued to challenge expectations with her 1972 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Though largely a symbolic undertaking, she was the first serious black woman candidate for a major party, following her 1968 achievement of becoming the first black woman in Congress. As suggested by the design of this button for that landmark campaign, Chisholm found her gender a greater hurdle than her race in her political career.
Shirley Chisholm Campaign Button, 1972, Collection of U.S. House of Representatives