Legislation is introduced to commission statue honoring U. S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm

(BlackPressUSA) — Last week, U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) reintroduced a bill directing Congress to commission a statue of former U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm to be displayed in the United States Capitol. Currently, there are four statues and busts in the United State Capitol representing African Americans, including Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Sojourner Truth.

Companion legislation will also be introduced today in the House of Representatives by Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY).

“For the first time in history, there are more than 20 Black women serving in the United State Congress—and we all stand on the shoulders of Shirley Chisholm,” said Senator Harris. “Shirley’s legacy inspires us to continue our fight to give a voice to the voiceless and pursue justice and equality for every American. Her legacy deserves to stand tall in the United States Capitol.”

CHISHOLM

“Shirley Chisholm used the authority of her experience to create nutrition assistance programs, expand health care services for parents and children, increase the minimum wage, support the veterans of our Armed Forces, and provide opportunities for women in college, graduate school, and collegiate and professional sports with the enactment of Title IX,” said Congresswoman Clarke.

A native of New York, Chisholm served in the New York State Assembly before she was the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first Black woman to seek a major party’s nomination for president.

The bill so far has 16 cosponsors.

This article originally published in the March 11, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.