She became the first African-American female elected to Congress. Shirley Chisholm was born in November of 1924 in Brooklyn, New York. She attended Brooklyn College and graduated in 1949. From there, she went to Colombia University, where she received a Masters degree. After graduate school, Chisholm worked as the director of a child care center. It was in 1968 that she made her mark. She ran for a Congressional seat in the 12th district of New York and won. Shirley Chisholm later ran for president in 1972, but failed to secure the Democratic nomination. She retired from House of Representatives in 1982. Shirley Chisholm died on January 1, 2005.
