Legislature Approves Senator Montgomery’s Resolutions Celebrating The Life of Shirley Chisholm and The Institute She Founded for Children

          Albany, New York (January 18, 2005): The NYS Senate and Assembly gave approval to legislative resolutions introduced by State Senator Velmanette Montgomery (D-Brooklyn) that celebrate the life and accomplishments of "Unbought and Unbossed" Shirley Chisholm and commemorate the Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute for Children in Brooklyn, New York. The Institute, which is located in Montgomery’s Senate District, was founded by the late Shirley Chisholm in 1969.

          "Shirley Chisholm’s commitment to excellence and her spirit of humanity carried over into all fields of enterprise, including educational, political, charitable and civic endeavors," Montgomery’s resolution proclaimed. Ms. Chisholm was the first African American woman from Brooklyn elected to public office when she won election to the New York State Assembly in 1964. She later went on to become the first African American woman elected to Congress and, in 1972 made a bid for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

          Montgomery noted that Ms. Chisholm’s experience in the field of early childhood education -- along with commitments to improving educational standards and opportunities for children of color -- represented a mission she sought to fulfill with the founding of the Shirley Chisholm Institute for Children, Inc.

          The Institute provides a reading and mathematics tutorial program with a cultural enrichment component for children ranging in age from 8 to 13 years old. It also helps families in crisis with a variety of support services.

          "I am proud to have the Institute in my Senate District," said Senator Montgomery. It has helped countless numbers of my constituents. It is an honor to recognize its founding members and staff upon the occasion of the Institute’s 32nd Annual ‘Afternoon In Black and White,’ which acknowledges the struggle for civil rights and the continuing fight against discrimination."

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