Changing the Face of Democracy

To commemorate the centennial of the birth of Shirley Chisholm (1924–2005), the Museum of the City of New York and the Shirley Chisholm Project at Brooklyn College will present the first major museum exhibition on the life and legacy of this pathbreaking politician and New Yorker.  

The first Black woman elected to Congress and the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket, Chisholm emerged from a unique constellation of New York networks. Set against the broader landscape of New York politics, Caribbean communities, and Black women’s activism, this exhibition explores Shirley Chisholm’s life, from her early years in Brooklyn and Barbados to her lasting impact on U.S. politics. Follow Chisholm’s political career from her 1964 election to the New York State legislature, her 1968 election to Congress, and 1972 run for President, and explore the still-relevant issues she worked on, including education and childcare, rights for migrants and workers, abortion access, and racial and gender equality. 

With the 2024 election cycle in mind, learn about Chisholm in her own words and through an array of historical artifacts, art, photographs, and video; glimpse into her life through hands-on interactives; and reflect on Chisholm as both an inspirational figure to subsequent generations and a changemaker whose work remains unfinished.