EP 166: Shirley Chisholm

EP 166: Shirley Chisholm

From Hashtag History by Hashtag History

May 5, 2026 · 34 min · Season 17 · Episode 166

About this episode

This episode discusses the life and legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the US Congress and a pioneer for women's rights and racial justice.

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing Shirley Chisholm. She was the first Black woman to be elected to the US Congress, she was the first Black candidate for a major-party when she ran for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, and was a major supporter and advocate for women’s rights, social services, and racial justice. I think Shirley Chisholm is a very recognizable face but, unless you are a hardcore feminist and/or a history nerd, you may not know very much about her. And that’s what I hope to resolve with this week’s episode. I think we are all going to walk away from this week’s episode with a lot of admiration and hope and pride. And even for those that are not super familiar with Shirley Chisholm, I am confident you will recognize this famous quote of hers – a quote that I genuinely live my life by. I really think it is my motto – and that is: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode. Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for…

People in this episode

Host: Hashtag History

Topics covered

  • Shirley Chisholm
  • women's rights
  • racial justice
  • US Congress
  • political history

Keywords

  • Shirley Chisholm
  • US Congress
  • women's rights
  • racial justice
  • politics
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Democratic Party

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