Schumer, Clinton Announce Bill to Rename Post Office Honoring Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm Passes Senate

Schumer, Clinton Announce Bill to Rename Post Office Honoring Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm Passes Senate

Bill to rename Stuyvesant Post Office from Chisholm's district in her honor

US Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton announced that a bill to rename the Stuyvesant Post Office in honor of the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm passed unanimously in the Senate Wednesday night. The bill now goes to the house for approval and then the bill goes to the President for signature. The legislation would change the name of the post office at 1915 Fulton Street in Brooklyn to "Congresswoman Shirley A. Chisholm Post Office Building." The postal facility serves zip code 11233 and is in Chisholm's former district.

"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," said Senator Schumer, who introduced the bill to rename Stuyvesant post office from Chisholm's district in her honor.

"I am so pleased that the Senate has taken the opportunity to recognize Shirley Chisholm's contribution to our nation. Naming this post office after her will be a lasting tribute to her memory and her undeniable legacy. I am so proud to have supported these efforts," said Senator Clinton, who is an original co-sponsor of bill and also sponsored a Senate resolution earlier this year in Chisholm's honor. "I encourage my House colleagues to follow the Senate's lead and pass this measure. It is a wonderful opportunity to honor this incredible pioneer and role model for the nation."

In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first African-American woman elected to Congress and represented New York's 12th District from 1969-1983. She was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and the founder of the National Women's Political Caucus.

Prior to the US House of Representatives, Chisholm was elected to the New York State Legislature in 1964. While in the New York State Assembly, she proposed a bill to provide state aid to daycare centers and voted to increase funding for schools on a per-pupil basis. In 1972, Chisholm made a bid for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, and received 152 delegate votes, but lost the nomination to Senator George McGovern.

Senators Schumer and Clinton also thanked City Councilwoman Tracy Boyland for her advocacy in the effort to rename the Stuyvesant Post Office in honor of Shirley Chisholm.

As a member of Congress, Chisholm was known for breaking down gender and racial barriers during her seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was strongly admired and well known in her district in Brooklyn, and in1960, she started the Democratic Unity Club, which was instrumental in mobilizing the Black and Latino vote. She also helped to form the Bedford-Stuyvesant Political League.

An educator turned politician, Chisholm taught nursery school and earned a masters degree in education from Columbia University, after graduating from Brooklyn College. She then went on to work as the director of the Friends Day Nursery in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn and the Hamilton-Madison House Child Care Center in Lower Manhattan, and quickly became known as an authority on early education and child welfare.

http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=240221&&