Shirley Chisholm’s early experience in the New York State Assembly demonstrates how political power structures attempt to control individual legislators and punish those who refuse to conform. When Democrats regained control of the assembly in 1965, they immediately became embroiled in a destructive two-month leadership battle between Anthony Travia and Stanley Steingut, both from Brooklyn. This deadlock paralyzed the legislature and exemplified what Chisholm sees as the Democratic Party’s tendency toward self-destruction.

As a freshman assemblywoman, Chisholm was expected to automatically support Steingut, her predecessor’s ally. However, she chose to back Travia based on his merit as minority leader rather than political loyalty. When Brooklyn political leaders discovered her intention, they warned her about committing “political suicide” by defying the delegation (66). Chisholm’s decision reflected her fundamental principle of voting according to her conscience rather than political expedience. Her vote ultimately proved symbolic when Republicans broke the deadlock by supporting Travia, but it established her reputation as an unpredictable maverick.

Chisholm explains that political rules exist to help those in power maintain control over their supporters. Leaders punish independent-minded legislators by assigning them to ineffective committees, excluding them from important decisions, and blocking their legislation. Despite these potential consequences, Chisholm argues that her maverick status did not diminish her effectiveness. She successfully passed eight of fifty bills she introduced, including legislation creating the SEEK program to help disadvantaged students attend college and extending unemployment insurance to domestic workers. She also eliminated discriminatory tenure policies affecting pregnant teachers.

The chapter reveals Chisholm’s growing disillusionment with the political process. She observed legislators who wanted to vote their conscience but were forced to change positions after receiving calls from party bosses. Some representatives even wept when prevented from doing what they believed was right. Chisholm concludes that the political system leaves little room for independent, creative personalities and that those who operate on conscience rather than political advantage must accept the consequences. She says her experience in Albany prepared her for the even more complex power dynamics she would encounter in Washington.

This chapter chronicles Chisholm’s groundbreaking 1968 congressional campaign, which transformed her from a state assemblywoman into the first African American woman elected to Congress. The narrative centers on her strategic navigation of political machinery, personal health crises, and demographic challenges to achieve this historic victory.

The chapter opens with Chisholm explaining how redistricting created new opportunities for Black political representation in Brooklyn. Previously, gerrymandered districts had deliberately divided African American voters across multiple constituencies, effectively silencing their political voice. When the Supreme Court mandated equal-sized, compact districts, a new congressional seat emerged with a substantial Black and Puerto Rican population, setting the stage for Chisholm’s campaign.

Despite initial promises from the Democratic Party machine to remain neutral, organizational leaders quickly rallied behind William C. Thompson, a former state senator they viewed as more controllable than the independently-minded Chisholm. A citizens’ committee unexpectedly endorsed her precisely because she refused to submit to party control, appreciating her willingness to challenge authority rather than seek approval.

The campaign required extraordinary personal sacrifice. Chisholm adopted grassroots tactics due to limited financial resources, spending months walking through neighborhoods, attending house parties, and connecting directly with constituents. She emphasizes the authenticity required for street-level campaigning, where insincerity becomes immediately apparent to voters.

A major crisis emerged when Chisholm discovered a massive tumor requiring immediate surgery during the campaign’s crucial final months. Despite her doctor’s advice to rest, she insisted on resuming campaigning shortly after the operation, wrapping towels around her waist to hide her dramatic weight loss and continuing her street appearances through sheer determination.

Her Republican opponent, James Farmer, represented a formidable challenge as a well-funded national civil rights figure. However, Chisholm’s campaign manager recognized that Farmer’s male-dominated approach overlooked a crucial demographic advantage: women outnumbered men in the district by 2.5 to 1. This insight transformed what opponents intended as a weakness into Chisholm’s greatest strength.

The chapter concludes with Chisholm’s decisive victory, winning by a 2.5-to-1 margin despite facing well-financed opposition. Her triumph demonstrated that authentic grassroots organizing could overcome institutional resistance, establishing her as a political force who remained, as in her campaign slogan, “Unbought and Unbossed” (80).

When Chisholm arrived at the 91st Congress, she immediately violated protocol by entering the House floor wearing her coat and hat, demonstrating her outsider status from the beginning. The chaotic atmosphere of Congress shocked her, as members moved about freely during proceedings while Speaker John McCormack presided over what seemed like meaningless one-minute speeches that were later printed in the Congressional Record as if they had been genuinely delivered to an attentive audience.

Chisholm’s colleagues greeted her cordially but with obvious reservations, frequently asking what her husband thought about her political career and expressing surprise that she differed from their expectations of a confrontational, anti-establishment figure. After a necessary three-week recovery period in Jamaica following her exhausting campaign, she returned to Washington to assemble a staff composed primarily of young women, both Black and white, believing that Capitol Hill’s intelligent female workforce deserved better opportunities than the typical subordinate roles they were assigned.

The central conflict of the chapter revolves around Chisholm’s committee assignment to Agriculture, which she viewed as completely irrelevant to her urban Brooklyn constituency’s needs in education, housing, and employment. Despite her twenty years in education and her clear preferences for committees dealing with urban issues, the Democratic leadership assigned her to Agriculture and, more absurdly, to the Rural Development and Forestry subcommittee. When she approached Speaker McCormack to request a change, he advised her to be a “good soldier” and wait for future rewards, but Chisholm rejected this approach, declaring that she would “do her own thing” regardless of consequences (96).

Chisholm’s rebellion culminated in a dramatic confrontation at the Democratic caucus, where she repeatedly attempted to address the committee assignment but was ignored. Finally, she walked to the well of the chamber and delivered a prepared speech arguing that the leadership had a moral obligation to place the nine Black House members in positions where they could effectively address the nation’s critical problems. Her motion to be reassigned passed, though colleagues warned her of political suicide.

Chisholm ultimately received an assignment to the Veterans Affairs Committee, which she considered more relevant to her district’s needs. She concludes by outlining her philosophy of congressional service: Rather than focusing on legislation, she believes her role involves helping constituents with practical problems and pressuring federal agencies to enforce existing civil rights laws. She argues that America possesses the necessary laws and resources for justice but lacks the moral commitment to implement them effectively.