Obama honors Brooklynite Shirley Chisholm’s legacy with Presidential Medal of Freedom
“What would it mean if President Obama or Hillary Clinton evoked Shirley Chisholm’s name?” asked Dr. Zinga A. Fraser, the new director of the Shirley Chisholm Project on Brooklyn Women’s Activism at Brooklyn College recently.
She received an answer in a most significant way when it was announced that Chisholm, who was born in Brooklyn and graduated from Brooklyn College in 1946, would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama at a ceremony to be held on Nov. 24 at the White House.
“Kudos to President Obama for recognizing Shirley Chisholm and what she represents,” said Brooklyn College President Karen L. Gould at the 2015 Shirley Chisholm Day program, held on Nov. 17 in the Brooklyn College Student Center. Keynoting the annual event in honor of Chisholm was Robin D.G. Kelley, the Gary B. Nash professor of American history at the University of California-Los Angeles.
“The college has a very long history of graduating students who go on to serve in public office and do amazing things. We say in our mission statement that one of the things we want our students to acquire is the ability to think critically, a quality exemplified in the work and continuing significance of Shirley Chisholm,” added Gould.