Washington, D.C. - Congressman Conyers, Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus and Ranking Minority Member of the House Judiciary Committee, made the following statement regarding the passing of his trailblazing former colleague Shirley Chisholm:

“One of America’s great reformers, Shirley Chisholm dedicated her life to serving the public.  From the very beginning, working at a nursery school and as an education expert with the New York City Bureau of Child Welfare, she used her passion for education to push for social change in a world that desperately required reform.  Shirley’s brilliance in education translated into excellence in public policy when she became my colleague in the House of Representatives in 1969.  During her seven terms in office, Shirley continued to teach.  In becoming the first black American female elected to the U.S. Congress, she helped teach Americans that this is a country for all types of people.  This lesson continued when Shirley and I co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus, creating a forum to face the issues impacting black Americans.  Shirley also worked to educate Americans on women’s rights, co-founding the National Women’s Political Caucus and supporting the revolutionary Equal Rights Amendment.  Even after leaving Congress, Shirley continued her work as a teacher, being named as Purington Chair at Mount Holyoke College and working as a visiting scholar at Spelman College.  I will greatly miss my former colleague. Her lessons and ideals will impact our society forever.”

###108-1-4-05###