Who was the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress?

Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. Voters in New York’s 12th congressional district elected her in 1968, and she took office the following year.

Chisholm, a Democrat from Brooklyn, had previously served in the New York State Assembly. In Congress, she advocated for education, employment, food assistance, and greater representation for women and racial minorities.

In 1972, Chisholm became the first Black candidate to seek the presidential nomination of a major U.S. political party. She did not win the nomination, but her campaign expanded the visibility of Black women in national politics. She served in the House until 1983.