美国名人 首位黑人女国会议员 雪莉·奇泽姆.docx

美国名人首位黑人女国会议员雪莉奇泽姆ShirleyChisholmplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-14:46repeatByLawanDavis2005-2-19(MUSIC)VOICEONE:mGwenOuten.VOICETWO:AndmDougJohnsonwithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywetellaboutShirleyChisholm.Shewasaneducator,activistandpolitician.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ShirleyChisholmisbestknownasthefirstblackwomanelectedtoUnitedStatesCongressandthefirstblackwomantorunforpresidentoftheUnitedStates.However,herlifewasfilledwithmuchmorethanbeingthefirstblackwomantodoimportantthings.Shebelievedinbeingapersontofightforchange.Allherlife,sheworkedtoimprovethelivesofothers.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ShirleyAnitaSaintHillwasborninBrooklyn,NewYorkinnineteentwenty-four.Shewastheoldestoffourdaughters.HerfatherwasafactoryworkerfromGuyana.Helovedtoread.HermotherwasfromtheBritishWestIndiesislandofBarbados.Shemadeclothesandcleanedotherpeople'shouses.Shirley'sparentshadverylittlemoney.Theywantedtheirdaughterstogetagoodeducationandtohaveabetterlife.WhenShirleywasthreeyearsoldherparentssentherandhersisterstolivewiththeirgrandmotherinBarbados.ShirleyreceivedagoodeducationfromtheBritishschoolsystem.Sheenjoyedtheyearsshelivedwithhergrandmother.HerfamilyinBarbadoswasastrong,organizedgroupthatbelievedineducation.Shirleyalwaysrememberedthewordshergrandmotherspoke.(SOUND)"WhenIwasrearedintheBritishWestIndiesmygrandmotherusedtoalwaystellme,youmaynotbelovedbycertainforcesinasocietyandyouhavetounderstandwhy.Butalwaysspeakthetruth."VOICEONE:Innineteenthirty-fourShirleymovedbacktoBrooklyn.Shewastenyearsold.Shecontinuedtodoverywellinschool.ShelatergraduatedfromBrooklynCollegewithhonors.Innineteenforty-nine,shemarriedConradChisholmwhoworkedasaprivateinvestigator.Togethertheytookpartinlocalpolitics.Theirmarriageendedalmostthirtyyearslater.Asayoungwoman,Shirleydecidedtobecomeateacher.Shebelievedshecouldimprovesocietybyhelpingchildren.Sheworkedforsevenyearsatachild-carecenterintheHarlemareaofNewYorkCity.SheattendedColumbiaUniversityatnightandreceivedanadvanceddegreeinearlychildhoodeducationinnineteenfifty-two.Shebecameknownasanexpertinchildrenandearlyeducation.Fromnineteenfifty-ninetonineteensixty-fourShirleyChisholmwasaneducationofficialinthedaycaredivisionofthecity'sofficeofchildwelfare.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:Inninetysixty-fourShirleyChisholm'spoliticalcareerbegan.ShewaselectedtotheNewYorkStateAssembly.Sheservedforfouryears.Innineteensixty-eightsheannouncedshewouldrunfortheUnitedStatesCongress.ShewaselectedfromthenewlycreatedTwelfthDistrictofNewYorkCity.ShebecamethefirstblackwomanelectedtoCongress.SherepresentedapoorareaofBrooklyncalledBeclford-Stuyvesant.InCongress,MizChisholmwasassignedtotheHouseAgricultureCommittee.Sheprotestedthisassignment.Shefeltitwasnotimportanttothepoorpeopleofthecitythatsherepresented.ShewasmovedtotheVeteransAffairsCommittee.ShelaterservedontheEducationandLaborCommittee,thepositionshewanted.Innineteenseventy-sevenshejoinedtheimportantHouseRulesCommittee.VOICEONE:ShirleyChisholmwasverydifferentfromothermembersofCongress.Shelookeddifferent.Herhairwasabigcloudofcurls.Sheworeverylargeeyeglasses.Andshehaddarkskin.Shealsospokedifferently.ShehaddevelopedaminorCaribbeanaccentwhilelivingwithhergrandmotherinBarbados.Hervoicewasstrong.Shespokewithpower.Shesaidhergreatesttoolwashermouth.ShewasnotafraidtosaythethingsotherswouldnotsaybeforeCongressandthepublic.(SOUND)"But,myfriends,Imightbestrongforsomepersonsinthisaudience,butIbelieveintellingitlikeitis."(applause)VOICETWO:ShirleyChisholmspokestronglyforthepoorandforwomen.SheworkedforcivilrightsforAfricanAmericans.SheopposedtheVietnamWar.Innineteensixty-nineshehelpedformtheCongressionalBlackCaucus.ShealsowasamemberoftheNationalOrganizationforWomen.MizChisholmwasanactivistforpeopleofcolor,includingNativeAmericansandSpanish-speakingimmigrants.Sheoftenspokeaboutculturalandsocialissues.(SOUND)"IncreasingimmigrationtotheUnitedStatessuggeststhatwedoface(-andwebetterownupto-Wedoface)newsocialandculturalproblemsasthesenewAmericansareintegratedintooursociety.Andbecausemostofthenewimmigrantsarepeopleofcolor,culturaladjustmentsmustbemadebyallgroupsinAmericaifwearetolearntolivetogetherasonenation."VOICEONE:MizChisholmwroteabookaboutherlifeinnineteenseventycalled"UnboughtandUnbossed."Sherefusedtobedefinedbypartypoliticsorracialcomparisons.Sometimesthisworkedagainsther.Innineteenseventy-twoShirleyChisholmannouncedthatshewouldrunforpresidentoftheUnitedStates.Manypeoplethoughtitwasastrangethingtodo.MizChisholmsaidduringherlifeinpoliticsshefacedmorediscriminationasawomanthanasablackperson.ShirleyChisholmbecamethefirstwomanandthefirstblackpersontocarryoutapresidentialcampaignwithinoneofthemajorparties.WhensheannouncedhercandidacyfortheDemocraticPartynominationforpresidentthisiswhatshesaid:"IamnotthecandidateofblackAmerica,althoughIamblackandproud.Iamnotthecandidateofthewomen'smovementofthiscountry,althoughIamawomanandIamequallyproudofthat.Iamnotthecandidateofanypoliticalbossesorspecialinterests.Iamthecandidateofthepeople."MizChisholmdidnotwintheDemocraticprimariesorthenomination.Shesaidshedidnotrunforpresidentbecausesheexpectedtowin.Sherantomakeapoint.Innineteenseventy-threeShirleyChisholmwroteanotherbook,"TheGoodFight."Inthatbookshetoldofherreasonsforrunningforpresidenteventhoughshedidnotexpecttowin.Shesaid:"Thenexttimeawomanruns,orablack,oraJeworanyonefromagroupthatthecountryis'notready'toelecttothehighestoffice,Ibelieveheorshewillbetakenseriouslyfromthestart."(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ShirleyChisholmleftCongressinnineteeneighty-twoafterfourteenyears.Shesaidmanyvotersdidnotunderstandher.Shesaidherinfluenceasatruthful,toughpoliticianwasdecreasinginconservativetimes.Also,shewantedtospendmoretimewithhersecondhusband,ArthurHardwick.MizChisholmwentontoteachatMountHolyokeCollegeinSouthHadley,Massachusetts.YearsafterleavingCongress,shecontinuedtobeinvitedtospeakbeforemanygroupsandorganizations.AreporteronceaskedMizChisholmhowshewantedtoberemembered.Shesaidshedidnotwanttoberememberedasthenation'sfirstblackcongresswoman.Shewantedtoberememberedasabraveperson,apersonwhocreatedchange.VOICEONE:ShirleyChisholmdiedJanuaryfirst,twothousandfive.Shesufferedaseriesofstrokes.Shewaseightyyearsold.ShirleyChisholmlovedhercountry.ShewantedtoserveallAmerica,notjustAfricanAmericansandwomen.HerworkforthecommunityofBedforcl-Stuyvesant,thestateofNewYorkandthenationcontinuesthroughthechangesshehelpedmakeinAmericansociety.(SOUND)"Americaisawonderfulland.It'snoquestionaboutit.ThatiswhyeverygroupfromacrossthewaterstriestocometoAmerica.Iamhopeful.OhGodamIhopefulthatbeforeIdiethatIwillseethatAmericawillmovetowardaperiodofrealenlightenment(notrhetoricalenlightenment,realenlightenment)andthatwhenwearefinallyfacedwiththechoiceofexclusionorinclusionwewillchooseinclusionbecausethat'swhatAmericaissupposetobeallabout."(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyLawanDavis.mDougJohnson.VOICEONE:AndmGwenOuten.JoinusagainnextweekforPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.(MUSIC)