Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm - Research Paper Example

Shirley Chisholm Affiliation Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm was one of the most outspoken women of her era. Born on November 30, 1924, she became the first African American lady to be elected to the USA Congress. This wasn’t a mean fete considering the unfavorable political atmosphere at that particular time in history (Chisholm, 2013). Her venture into this male-dominated field was influenced by a number of factors including her identity as a woman, an African American and as a descendant of immigrants into the American nation.

For one, this was the time when women were not warmly welcomed into certain professions as that were considered men’s fields. Nothing was going to change this if there was no one out to push for such considerations. As such, she found herself in this field advocating recognition of women and allocation of their fair share in the male-dominated professions. She became so popular amongst the college students owing to her liberal views regarding women, something that she never expected.Similarly, the identity of Chisholm as a black American also had a significant influence in her political career.

In her formative years, the black Americans did not get access to certain privileges like scholarship that were majorly enjoyed by the whites. This steered her to join the educational field and with her influence as a teacher, propelled her political ambitions (Chisholm, 2013). Moreover, the Africans especially their women were treated to very unpleasant jobs like maids and nannies. This did not augur well with her and as such came into the limelight to speak on behalf of the underdogs. The fact that Chisholm originated from a background of immigrants also had a massive influence in her life as a politician.

This was a period when highly esteemed positions were reserved for the white American natives. Moreover, those who didn’t have good home backgrounds didn’t have it easy getting access to several facilities; which were, of course, the immigrants and their descendants.Quite a number of similarities exist between this firm African American woman and the current President of the United States, Barack Obama with some being pretty obvious and the others grimly slim. For one, both were bold enough to take their place in the race to the White House despite being blacks; a venture that was historically associated with the Whites.

Moreover, they both had almost similar political views. For Chisholm, a leader needed not to pay much attention to what the media and the opponents said about him, the same spirit that propelled Obama to his current stature. If still alive, she would be quite ironic. She would advise President Obama to be optimistic and believe in possibilities although she was not always sure about what she wanted. This is in line with the radical changes that she did not imagine would ultimately materialize.

If this great lady were to be alive today, she would undoubtedly have lots to comment on the current trends especially those relating to race relations, education and healthcare. Regarding race relations, she would have given credit to the Americans; whites to be specific for the remarkable turn of events. Quite a lot has changed, and the position of an African-American as the President is a great testimony to that. She would have been even more optimistic with the radical change in the education system considering that blacks now have access to better education facilities and scholarship programs.

It is a dream comes true. Maybe that would best have summarized her say regarding the education system. Concerning American healthcare system, she would have had quite a number of positive comments to put across. With Obama care and all that in place pertaining to healthcare, she would have commended the government and country as a whole for the job well done. After all, it is worth giving credit where due.ReferenceChisholm, S. (2013). National Visionary Leadership Project. Retrieved on 8th Nov, 2014 from http://www.

visionaryproject.org/chisholmshirley/