President's Day: A Black President in the Making
During Black History Month we examine influential African-Americans in politics
Significant African-American Politicians Break Down Racial Barriers
Shirley Chisholm was the first American-American woman elected to Congress, where she represented New York's 12th congressional district from 1969 to 1983. On Jan. 25, 1972, Chisholm announced her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination at the Concord Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y. Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton applauds at right. While she did not succeed in winning the nomination, she did receive 152 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention in 1972, an impressive count given her modest fundraising total. (Don Hogan Charles/New York Times Co./Getty Images)
