. >>> the first african-american woman elected to congress, shirley chisholm of new york, became in 1972, the first woman and african-american to seek a major party's presidential nomination. up next on "reel america," a c-span american profile interview with the trailblazer from june of 1992. ms. chisholm talks about the struggles she faced and she discusses the 1992 presidential election in which ross perot emerged as a third-party candidate. >> shirley chisholm, how do you explain this incredible presidential year? >> i think i can explain in terms of the fact that it's gotten to a point in american history now where the american people feel an alienation and cynicism from traditional politics as we have known it when we're addressing the selection of a person to guide the country for a four-year president, ie the president. they feel it's part of the same traditional package. that there needs to be change in the america and that if the change does not emanate from the programs and the agenda and the plans of either one of the two parties, americans have gotten to the point where they

look what he said about shirley chisholm. shirley chisholm had been released from a mental institution a few years ago and it is known that she rubbed feces on the walls of the rooms in her home. it -- i still -- the paper at home is yellow and crumbled. >> how did that -- what device did he use to get that information out? >> throwaways. >> leaflets. >> how do you know it was from donald? >> my friends in california sent me all the leaflets that was put out by donald at that time did not say he did it, but as a result of the watergate hearings and everything it calm ome out did it. it was not only negative and untruthful things said about me, but about humphrey and others, the most sleazy types of remarks and my friends in california alerted me to it. later he apologized to all of us. >> personally? >> not personally, but by the media, the newspapers picked it up. >> do you think those tricks had any effect on your campaign? >> no, not really. >> there are other people -- what was jesse jackson doing at the time that you wer

bruce: shirley chisholm, thank you very much. rep. chisholm: certainly. thank you. >> this is american history tv. each weekend we feature 48 hours of programs exploring our nation's past. today at 6:00 p.m. eastern on lookivil war, historians at how we remember war through our memorial landscape and discuss whether to remove or contextualize confederate monuments. here is a preview. >> one of the things i have heard a lot, i'm not sure if you have as well is about the monuments. distinction? i have come across this question a lot. is contextualizing the space of a battlefield. >> it is interesting to hear you say that. maybe i see it is more problematic. i think the one thing we have to acknowledge is we are talking about federal land versus local property. ball gamewhole other because trying to get the federal government to do anything -- the monuments are staying. we can agree on that for the foreseeable future. i think in most places, especially those run by the national park service, they do a phenomenal job trying to place them in the context of the

and got her start actually she was mentored by shirley chisholm who everybody knows says bring your folding chair to the table. i don't people to take away from this that the only path to power is to become an elected official not all of us is cut out for every role think it's important we want to change the way that democracy functions we actually put people in that democracy that can model what that looks like. can model accountable leadership with integrity. to have a radical vision and know how to get things done. and they need many more aoc's, many more presley's. many more squads, many more people are not afraid to say the way that this country is set up is rigged. do that we have courage and do we have the will.

. >>> the first african-american woman elected to congress, shirley chisholm of new york, became in 1972, the first woman and african-american to seek a major party's presidential nomination. up next on "reel america," a c-span american profile interview with the trailblazer from june of 1992. ms. chisholm talks about the struggles she faced and she discusses the 1992 presidential election in which ross perot emerged as a third-party candidate. >> shirley chisholm, how do you explain this incredible presidential year? >> i think i can explain in terms of the fact that it's gotten to a point in american history now where the american people feel an

. >> this is a campaign poster for shirley chisholm, the first african-american woman in congress.e this because it says unbought and unbossed." but it is for something else entirely. >> it is actually for a presidential campaign she waged in 1972. and she went to the democratic convention and rounded up about 10% of the votes. she is the first african-american woman to run for president, and she did it on a shoestring budget and had a very admirable showing. but she had a reputation, national reputation, well before 1972. she is elected to congress in 1968 from a district that encompasses much of brooklyn. she becomes very prominent in that campaign. her opponent in the general election on the republican, liberal republican ticket, was james farmer, one of the great civil rights leaders. there is this back and forth between these two. farmer runs on and the idea that brooklyn needs a man in congress. and shirley chisolm, she fires back. her campaign theme is like the one expressed on this poster. "unbought and unbossed." i'm fighting shirley chisolm. i'm to be your congresswoman.

the development of black women writers, black critique of -- american society, the growth of shirley chisholmthe first black woman to run for major party nomination for the presidency. a political force on all those levels through culture, politics, popular culture representation in mass media. the black power movement renovated and created yet another new african-american way of expressing themselves and being represented and being in control of their own circumstances. that created opportunities for subsequent generations. perhaps the most significant example of that creating of new opportunities comes with the growth and influence of someone all americans have come to know, oprah winfrey. black power in the civil rights movement opened up opportunities for african americans in all realms of american life -- politics, popular culture, literature, economic entrepreneurialism. oprah winfrey has become one of the great icons of the late 20th century, starting her talkshow in 1986, she developed an empire business beyond the and talked about individual self empowerment, creative opportunities,

in one hour, in 1992 interview with shirley chisholm, the first african-american congresswoman on the first women and african-american to run for a major party's nomination. she took on a field of white men for the presidential nomination in 1972. tom: my name is tom. i would like to welcome our members to lunch as well as our guests. and to those listening live over the national public radio stations, and for those who will watch it later, before going further i would like to remind the members of upcoming events. next tuesday, the guest will be william fulbright. the 40th anniversary of the fulbright scholarship program. future speakers include james buchanan on january 23 and john harrington on fairbury 19th. if you have questions for our speaker, please write them down on the part on your table and send them to the front. i will ask as many questions as time permits. i would like to introduce our guest. please stand when i call your name. please withhold your applause until i am completed. bernard shaw of cable news network, lita williams of the new york times, adrian farrell, a m

she was mentored by shirley chisholm who everybody knows, bring your folding chairs to the table. the only path to power is to become an elected official, not everybody is cut out for every role. i do think it is important that if we change the way democracy functions we put people in that democracy that can model what that looks like, can model accountable leadership with integrity, a radical vision but knows how to get things done, we need many more aocs and many more presleys and squads and many more people who are not afraid to say the way the country is set up his rigged and we have the power to change the rules but do we have the courage, tell us how to do that. i have been asked 1 million times to run. i think i am better in this world but i also encourage people to run and help to groom people and people can be powerful inside of congress and city hall across the nation and people can be powerful in our communities and those are not mutually exclusive. >> a beautiful thought, what politics could potentially be. i want to bring questions from the audience, we have quite a f

she name checked mary mcleod bethune, shirley chisholm, and more as a way of helping democrats understandhow she comes to be there and how she is situated in a very complex american political history that knows to about black women's politics. there is that burden that black women still carry which is to forget folks and to help them read black women's bodies intelligently when they're at the podium. at the same time, and folks have branded me perhaps too optimistic but i'm going to tell you what i think, which is often really at the fence with a black women's first analysis, if we can call it that, which is to say i don't think most interesting thing about kamala harris is a fact that she a first black woman to be nominated on a major party, et cetera, et cetera. i think what's more interesting is that black women have emerged as a force that it's more interesting that she is one of six on bidens short list because black women were more than prepared to step right into that moment, right, when it was in election cycle, when there was a candidate, when there was a party. turned out they w

and got her start actually she was mentored by shirley chisholm who everybody knows says bring your foldingir to the table. i don't people to take away from this that the only path to power is to become an elected official not all of us is cut out for every role think it's important we want to change the way that democracy functions we actually put people in that democracy that can model what that looks like. can model accountable leadership with integrity. to have a radical vision and know how to get things done. and they need many more aoc's, many more presley's. many more squads, many more people are not afraid to say the way that this country is set up is rigged. do that we have courage and do we have the will. i think that, i've been asked a million times to run, i gently think that is my jam. i think i'm better in this role. we also encourage think they can be powerful insight of congress in city hall across the nation pretty also think that our people can be powerful in our communities. those are mutually exclusive. think that's a beautiful thought to take some questions from our aud

and got her start actually through was meant toward by shirley chisholm everybody knows says bring your folding chair tothe table . so i just, i don't want people to take away from this that the only path to power is to become an elected official. not all of us are cut out for every role but i do think it's important that if we want to change the way that democracy functions that we actually would people in that democracy can model what that looks like. can model accountable leadership with integrity. that can model what it means to have a radical vision but also know how to get things done. and i think we need many more aoc's, many more recipes. we need many more squads, many more ill hans, many more people who are not afraid to say the way that this country isset up his rate . and we have the power to change the rules but do we have the courage do we have to will and then they show us how todo that . so i think that i've been asked 1 million times to run. i don't think that's really my jam. i think i'm better in this role but i also encourage people to run and i hope to groom people o

woman elected to congress, shirley chisholm of new york, became in 1972 the first woman and african-american to seek a major party's presidential nomination. up next on real america, a c-span american profile interview with the trailblazer from june of 1992. miss chisholm, who died in

in one hour, in 1992 interview with shirley chisholm, the first african-american congresswoman on the first women and african-american to run for a major party's nomination. she took on a field of white men for the presidential nomination in 1972. tom: my name is tom. i would like to welcome our members to lunch as well as our guests. and to those listening live over the national public radio stations, and for those who will watch it later, before going further i would like to remind the members of upcoming events. next tuesday, the guest will be william fulbright.