10TH DISTRICT, NEW YORK
NEWS RELEASE
| For Immediate Release | Contact: Ruth J. Morrison | ||
| July 25, 2005 | (202) 225-5936 | ||
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CONGRESS PASSES POST OFFICE HONORS FOR FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN SHIRLEY CHISHOLM |
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Washington, DC - July 25, 2005--The United States House of Representatives today passed a bill to rename the Stuyvesant Post Office, the "Congresswoman Shirley A. Chisholm Post Office Building". The Senate passed the same version of the bill on June 29, 2005. The Stuyvesant Post Office located at 1915 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11233 is in the district in which Mrs. Chisholm served. Following the death of Mrs. Chisholm on New Year's Day, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Congressman Ed Towns (D-Brooklyn) introduced legislation --S. 571, and its companion bill H.R. 1209-- for the name change in order to provide Mrs. Chisholm's community with an enduring testament to her name. Mrs. Chisholm was a New York icon and committed public servant. She was born in Brooklyn, on November 30, 1924, attended Brooklyn College, and earned a Master's degree from Columbia University. In 1968, Mrs. Chisholm became the first African-American woman to be elected to Congress where she served for seven consecutive terms. In 1972, she became the first African American to seriously run for President of the United States. "Shirley was a trailblazer who opened the doors of opportunity for generations of women and minority politicians," Congressman Towns said. "The naming of a Brooklyn post office in her honor is a fitting tribute to one of New York's finest public servants." “Shirley Chisholm broke more glass ceilings than just about anyone else from Brooklyn. She had a fierce determination to work for racial equality and had an unwavering commitment to justice. I was privileged to know and serve with her and it is fitting and appropriate to re-name the Stuyvesant Post Office in her honor,” Senator Schumer said. "This is wonderful news for all of us who are committed to creating a lasting tribute to Shirley Chisholm's memory and legacy. Renaming this post office will be a fitting gesture in honor of someone who gave so much to the community and who blazed a trail so that others might follow. I am proud to have supported these efforts to honor a true pioneer and role model for the nation. I hope that the President will not delay in signing this bill," said Senator Clinton, who was an original co-sponsor of the Senate bill to rename the Stuyvesant Post Office in honor of the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and also sponsored a Senate resolution earlier this year in Chisholm's honor.
During her congressional career, Mrs. Chisholm served on the House Education and Labor, Veterans Affairs and Rules Committees, where she passionately advocated for the rights of women, children, minorities, veterans, Haitian refugees and day workers. Mrs. Chisholm stood in staunch opposition to the Vietnam War and she was unmatched as a voice for social justice. Mrs. Chisholm was a founding member of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues and the Congressional Black Caucus. She was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), founder of the Unity Democratic Club, and a Representative in the New York State Assembly (1964-68). Mrs. Chisholm's "unbought and unbossed" political style allowed her to make friends and political alliances on both sides of the aisle. Her lifetime achievements have inspired generations of women and African Americans, especially the members of her Brooklyn community to engage in our nation's policymaking and the members of her community are forever grateful for her trailblazing efforts. |