Shirley

 

Shirley Chisholm: I stand before you today as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency of the United States of America. I am not the candidate of Black america, although I am Black and proud. I am not the candidate of the women's movement of this country, although I am a  woman, and I am equally proud of that. I am not the candidate of any political bosses or fat cats or special interests. I stand here now without endorsements from any big-name politicians or celebrities. I do not intend to offer to you the tired and glib clichés which for too long have been an accepted part of our political life. I am the candidate of the people of America. And my presence before you now symbolises a new era in American political history.