Before Obama or Hilary, there was Shirley

Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm was the first African-American woman elected to the United States Congress, and the first to run for President. She lost the Democratic Party nomination that year to Senator George McGovern. In November 1972, the Republican incumbent, President Richard M. Nixon, defeated McGovern in a landslide. Nixon's, presidency later ended in the Watergate scandal. I got this quote which is credited to Shirley online;

\"I am a candidate for the Presidency of the United States. I make that statement proudly, in the full knowledge that, as a black person and as a female person, I do not have a chance of actually gaining that office in this election year. I make that statement seriously, knowing that my candidacy itself can change the face and future of American politics--that it will be important to the needs and hopes of every one of you--even though, in the conventional sense, I will not win.\"
-June 4, 1972

I came across Shirley's story by chance. Nevertheless, I am impressed by her audacity, she contested for U.S presidency in 1972 knowing that she would probably loose but she went ahead anyway. I believe she was a very remarkable woman. I think that , her contesting in a country that at that time did not provide equal opportunity for her class or her race makes truly exceptional She is an example. Her action shows that many times we need to take certain actions not just for ourselves but also for the future generation. She took the first steps that have today benefited Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton.