50 years in, Chisholm’s historic victory offers inspiration

In this March 3, 2009, file photo, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, second left, joins members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington, for the unveiling of the portrait of the late Rep. Shirley Chisholm, D-NY. The event marked the 40th anniversary of Congresswoman Chisholm’s swearing in as a member of the House of Representatives. From left are Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Barbara Lee, D- Calif., Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., and Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

In this March 26, 1969, file photo, Rep. Shirley Chisholm, D-N.Y., poses on the steps of the Capitol in Washington with material she plans to use in a speech before the House of Representatives. Fifty years have passed since the Brooklyn, N.Y. native made history on Nov. 5, 1968, as the first African-American woman elected to Congress. (AP Photo/Charles Gorry, File)

In this Nov. 6, 2018, file photo, Letitia James, D-NY, speaks to supporters after winning the New York Attorney General’s race in New York. James, who made history that night as the first African-American woman elected to hold statewide New York office as the state attorney general, said the example set by the late Rep. Shirley Chisholm matters all this time later because “we’re fighting for the same people who don’t have a voice at the table.” (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)