Shirley Chisholm, Congressional Pioneer, Dies at 80

By Melissa Block

Published January 2, 2005 at 11:00 PM CST

Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress, died at her home in Florida over the weekend. NPR's Melissa Block offers a tribute, and tape of Chisholm's 1972 announcement that she was running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Politics

Melissa Block

As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.

See stories by Melissa Block

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