6. Shirley Chisholm, Politician
Shirley Chisholm was an incredibly influential American politician. She first ran for the New York State Assembly in 1964. In 1968, Shirley became the first black Congresswoman, representing a district in Brooklyn in the House of Representatives. She was one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus. A lifelong advocate for black women holding high government positions, Chisholm herself became the first black woman to run for president in a major US political party when she ran for the nomination as a Democrat in 1972.
