Equal Rights for Women Shirley Chisholm

1. Equal Rights for Women Shirley Chisholm By: Mikayla Trogdon

2. Born November 30, 1924 in New York City. • Was a child to immigrant parents from Barbados. • Attended Brooklyn College and joined debate team. • Earned a masters degree in early childhood education. Background

3. Subject: The subject of this speech is equal rights. However, it is centered on the rights of women. • “More than half of the population of the United States is female. But women occupy only 2 percent of the managerial positions. They have not even reached the level of tokenism yet No women sit on the AFL-CIO council or Supreme Court. There have been only two women who have held Cabinet rank, and at present there are none. Only two women now hold ambassadorial rank in the diplomatic corps.” • Purpose: The purpose was to address the negligence America showed in providing equal rights for women. • “Considering that there are about 3 1/2 million more women in the United States than men this situation is outrageous.” Subject and Purpose

4. Occasion: Shirley Chisholm was addressing The United States House of Representatives on May 21, 1969 in Washington, DC. • “Mr. Speaker” • Audience: The United States House of Representatives. Occasion and Audience

5. Speaker: Shirley Chisholm is a very credible speaker due to her personal experience with prejudice. She experienced this in the political world not only because she was African American, but because she was a woman. • “As a black person, I am no stranger to race prejudice. But the truth is that in the political world I have been far oftener discriminated against because I am a woman than because I am black.” • Tone: Inspiring, Urgent, Informative, and Persuasive. Speaker and Tone

6. “But the truth is that in the political world I have been far oftener discriminated against because I am a woman than because I am black.” • This makes Shirley Chisholm a more credible speaker because she has personal experience. • She has been discriminated against more than some women because in addition to her “misfortune” in gender, she is also African American. • The audience can better respect her, because of her personal encounters. Ethos

7. “Mr. Speaker, when a young woman graduates from college and starts looking for a job, she is likely to have a frustrating and even demeaning experience ahead of her. If she walks into an office for an interview, the first question she will be asked is, "Do you type?'' • This appeals to the audience’s emotions because it causes one to place themselves in a woman’s shoes. • When looking for a job, the first thing they will encounter is a swipe at their dignity. • A woman’s intelligence, character, and personality is automatically shot down because of gender prejudices. • They are judged before they are even known. Pathos

8. “It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women do not have the opportunities that men do.” • Shirley Chisholm knew that this statement was common sense within itself. • Discrimination is not hidden. • It makes sense for her to emphasize this, because her focus is the lack of rights for women. • It reiterates her message to the audience. Logos

9. No video was recorded during the time of her speech because it was given during a congressional session. However, here is a video recapping Shirley Chisholm’s life and effects she had on women’s rights by giving this speech. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95RqRHGVvg&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active Audio Snippet

10. After giving this speech, Shirley Chisholm served seven terms in congress. • Ran for president as a democrat in 1972. • Received votes from 14 states, and received 151 of delegates votes. • One of the founders of National Women’s Political Caucus • In 1977 she was appointed to the “powerful” House of Rules Committee where she introduced over 50 pieces of legislation. • Was nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, but had to decline because of health issues. • Left the political scope in 1983 to teach and lecture. • Co-founded National Political Congress of Black Women. • Died in 2005. To Follow

11. When asked how she wanted to be remembered, Chisholm said, “When I die, I want to be remembered as a woman who lived in the 20th century and who dared to be a catalyst of change. I don’t want to be remembered as the first black woman who went to Congress. And I don’t even want to be remembered as the first woman who happened to be black to make the bid for the presidency. I want to be remembered as a woman who fought for change in the 20th century. That’s what I want.”

12. "National Women's History Museum." Education & Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/shirley-anita-chisholm/>. • "Miaya & Oscar- Shirley Chisholm: Equal Rights for Women.m4v." YouTube. YouTube, 04 May 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95RqRHGVvg>. • "National Women's History Museum." Education & Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/shirley-anita-chisholm/>. Citations

13. Thank you for your time.