On Tuesday President Barack Obama bestowed the Medal of Freedom on 17 Americans. The ceremony in the East Room of the White House included a posthumus medal for one very special African-American lady. Sadly Shirley Chisholm passed away in 2005 and never got to see her honor.

Many remember Shirley in New York City, back in the 60s-70s she led the way becoming the first African-American congresswoman in 1968 and in 1972 mounting the first campaign from a black woman from major party for president.

She spoke about the audacity of hope long before Obama. A report from NY1 spoke to one of her closest friends, William Howard, who was also treasurer for her presidential campaign.

He sais

“We thought that we could win and we took the chance to win. But the exciting portion of it we had less than $500,000 for the entire national race and and now $500,000 won’t buy you two minutes,” he recalled.

She worked hard until she left congress in 1983 and had many accolades and things she should be remembered for such as being one of the founders of the West Indian American Day Parade.

Her friend Howard doesn’t want her legacy to be forgotten and added:

“The fact that Chisholm sort of single handedly changed the world both in New York State and nationally, and it seems like nobody cares anymore,”

She died at age 80 in 2005. Her friend Howard keeps her honor alive with the Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute for Children which provides scholarships.

On Tuesday (24th November 2015) President Obama handed her medal to her niece. He had these words to honor her.

There are people in our countries history who don’t look left or right, they just look straight ahead. Shirley Chisholm was one of those people. Driven by a profound commitment to justice she became the first African-American congress woman, the first African-American woman from a major political party to to run for president. When Shirley was assigned to the house agricultural committee despite the fact that her district was from New York City . She said “apparently all they know here in Washington about Brooklyn is that a tree grew there”. But she made the most of her new role helping to create the supplemental nutritional program that feeds poor mothers and their children. Shirley Chisholm’s example transcends her life and when asked how she’d like to be remembered she had an answer “I’d like them to say that Shirley Chisholm had guts” and I’m proud to say, Shirley Chisholm had guts.

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You can see Obama’s speech in the video below. It starts at 5:35.