The Department of African American Studies honors Shirley Chisholm who is recognized for being the first African-American woman elected to Congress and first woman to seek a presidential nomination from a major political party.

For seven terms as Congresswoman, she passed legislation that fought racial and gender discrimination, advocated for educational reform, and demonstrated her stance against the Vietnam War. After experiencing discrimination and funding issues, her campaign was unsuccessful, but her political debut inspired women, especially Black women, minorities, and young people to pursue politics. She was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the National Women's Political Caucus and later co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women.