Brooklyn pays tribute to late, former congresswoman Shirley Chisholm ahead of her 100th birthday
PROSPECT PARK, Brooklyn (WABC) -- This November 30 will mark what would have been Shirley Chisholm's 100th birthday.
Ahead of her birthday, people are remembering and discovering the trailblazing politician who shook up the nation with her historic run for president in 1972.
"She was an ordinary person like you and me doing extraordinary things," Ingrid Griffith said.
Griffith says the late, former congresswoman inspired her to write and star in a one-woman show called "Unbossed & Unbowed," centered around Chisholm's extraordinary life. The show is a labor of love that's very close to Griffith, as she shares familiar roots with Chisholm in Guyana.
"I remember my mom having like Essence magazine and Jet and I would see her face. I knew who she was, but not as much as I thought," she recounted.
But Griffith would become curious about Chisholm, and after years of research and listening to tons of audiotapes, the actor-writer created the show as a beautiful portrayal of an icon who opened so many doors to future women leaders.
"I want them to really hear her story. It's important to hear our ancestors story and to see how we can, from their story, take the baton and move forward," Griffith said.
The League of Women Voters of New York City is a supporter of this show, along with the Brooklyn alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Chisholm was a member of both organizations, which carry on her legacy of civic engagement and empowerment.
"The one thing we have going for us is our vote, our one vote. And this is what Shirley is about," said Karen Wharton of the League of Women Voters of NYC. "Shirley was about kicking down doors. She didn't knock down doors. She kicked them down."
Kenya Johnson, the president of the Brooklyn alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., says Chisholm was initiated into the organization back on Jan. 25, 1969.
"So for me, it comes full circle. It makes you feel very proud just to be a woman," Johnson said.
Next year, a Shirley Chisholm monument will be unveiled in the borough she represented: Brooklyn. The monument will not only greet visitors as they enter Prospect Park, but will also allow residents to see themselves in public spaces and the issues that Chisholm fought for every day.
"I am so honored and thrilled that we get to celebrate her history, her legacy in this way, and that it's really important to me that people see themselves both in leadership positions like the one that I hold, but in the park in general. That people see that the park is truly for them," said Morgan Monaco, president of the Prospect Park Alliance.
You can watch the performance of "Unbossed & Unbowed" and celebrate 100 years of Shirley Chisholm on Saturday, September 7 at the Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park.
The show is free to the public, and while you're there, you can also get information on how to register to vote.
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