A COMMUNITY OF INVESTED DISRUPTORS

JOIN OUR MONTHLY GIVING COMMUNITY:
THE CHISHOLM CIRCLE

In 2022, we unveiled a mural in front of our New Orleans headquarters depicting larger-than-life portraits of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and Justice Thurgood Marshall – both trailblazers for racial justice and equity in American politics.  

As the first Black woman elected to the NY legislature in 1964, the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968, and the first Black woman to run for president of the United States in 1971, Chisholm more than earned her nickname “Fighting Shirley.”  

She represents persistence, determination, and fearlessness in the face of adversity – all of which we aim to embody in our fight to build power.   

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

-Shirley Chisholm

Rep. Chisholm at the U.S. Capitol, 1969

Our donor support has allowed us to pull up folding chairs at a LOT of tables over the years including:  

  • Healthcare and mental health treatment in prisons  

  • Parole eligibility  

  • Voting rights of those living with felony convictions  

  • Housing and employment discrimination against formerly incarcerated people

Our organizing and advocacy are formerly incarcerated-led and community-owned. We count on monthly donations to fill gaps in funding and to support member-led work in each of our communities. The Chisholm Circle enables us to build structure and train leaders in our chapters in differing areas of focus (policy, civic engagement, outreach).  

With YOUR seat at the table you  

  • Join a community of passionate movement investors that sustains our work long-term  

  • Receive invitations to special VOTE events  

  • Invitation to participate in funder briefings  

  • Early access to VOTE merch drops  

Join the Chisholm Circle TODAY by making a recurring gift to VOTE below. You can cancel at anytime.

Shirley Chisholm, left, depicted in the mural outside VOTE headquarters, New Orleans, LA. Mural designer & lead artist: Nik Richard. Produced in cooperation with the Young Artist’s Movement (YAM) with additional art by the YAM Summer 2022 cohort. 

Ready to learn more about Shirley Chisholm and how she shook up America? Check out one of her books below.

UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED

"I want to be remembered as a woman . . . who dared to be a catalyst of change." Political pioneer Shirley Chisholm--activist, member of the House of Representatives, and former presidential candidate--was a woman who consistently broke barriers and inspired generations of American women, and especially women of color. Unbought and Unbossed is her story, told in her own words. First published in 1970.

THE LAST INTERVIEW

In this collection of interviews stretching from her first major profile to her final interview, this icon of iron will and unshakeable political principle reveals how her disciplined and demanding childhood and the expectations placed on her by the public shaped her into a force of nature and the ultimate people's politician--tirelessly advocating in the halls of government for the poorest and most disadvantaged of the nation. Published in 2021.

THE GOOD FIGHT

The revered civil rights activist and pioneering member of Congress chronicles her groundbreaking 1972 run for President as the first woman and person of color--a work of immense historical importance that both captures and transcends its times, newly reissued to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of her campaign. In this invaluable political memoir, Chisholm reflects on her unique campaign and a nation at the crossroads of change. First published in 1973.