And other news, in trying to catch up with the week, there was the passing of Shirley Chisholm, a Brooklyn figure. While her obituary in the NY Times was interesting (noting that her campaign slogan was “unbought and unbossed” to combat the Brooklyn machine at that time; and touching on her Barbadian childhood following her Brooklyn birth) , this other article – where NY Times’ Randal C. Archibold writes of the memory and memorial of someone of significance in her times, in her own borough – and it’s poignant stuff:
Her face stares out from a wall on an elementary school in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, one of the few visible signs that Shirley Chisholm was here, even if she chose not to stay.
Ms. Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress and the first black woman to seek the nomination of a major party for president, some two decades ago left the neighborhood she represented in Congress in a pique. She said she was seeking privacy and had grown tired of detractors who accused of her betraying her radical roots and cozying up with figures varying from George C. Wallace to Edward I. Koch.
“I think she was probably much more respected and controversial in her own time,” said Janet Braun-Reinitz, an artist with the nonprofit group Artmakers who, long before Ms. Chisholm’s death, began helping to organize a large mural in Bedford-Stuyvesant in honor of Ms. Chisholm and other female historical figures. “I think now she is coming back larger than life.”
The artists are working with the newly christened Shirley Chisholm Center for the Study of Women at Brooklyn College, Ms. Chisholm’s alma mater.
But in a sign that Ms. Chisholm’s fame had waned considerably, Barbara Winslow, the coordinator of women’s studies at the college, said that last spring, when she suggested putting Ms. Chisholm’s name on the center as a nod to her lesser-known role as a feminist, few fellow faculty members knew Ms. Chisholm had attended the college.
I liked the video on NY1 on the Chisholm story – the 1960-1980’s pictures of Chisholm really are pieces of those times.
And, while it’s nice that Alberto Gonzales is the first Hispanic nominee to the Attorney General and may become the first Hispanic Attorney General, the senators on the judiciary committee are making it interesting in the meantime. I like that Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was critical, and how, of course, Gonzales would deny approving of torture when asked the leading question of “do you approve of torture?” (as if he would say “Yeah, I think torture works.”). Oh, well.
It looks like the blog has spammers again (maybe – unless these guys are actually being commentators? I can’t tell. I don’t mind commentators, but if they’re just posting to lead us to salvation to debt consolidation or other stupid services, I’d rather they not show up – so note to spammers – go eat spam).
Enjoy Saturday.