This photograph shows President Bill Clinton greeting Shirley Chisholm, Ambassador-Designate to Jamaica, in the Oval Office of the White House. Clinton had nominated Chisholm to be U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, but she could not serve due to illness.
Chisholm had been elected as the first African American congresswoman in 1968. A teacher by profession who turned to politics, she served in the New York State Assembly before her time in Congress.
After three years in Congress, she held a press conference and announced her candidacy for President of the United States. She didn’t expect to win, but she believed her candidacy could “change the face and future of American politics.” Her candidacy did not gain much support. However, while serving a total of seven terms in Congress, she dedicated her career to helping women, people of color, and immigrants. She was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Women’s Caucus.
