Question

"Shirley Chisolm Speech" by Shirley Chisolm Mr.Speaker, when a young woman graduates from college and starts looking for a job, she is likely to have a frustrating and even demeaning experience ahead of her. If she walks into an office for an interview, the first question she will be asked is, "Do you type?'' There is a calculated system of prejudice that lies unspoken behind that question. Why is it acceptable for women to be secretaries, librarians, and teachers, but totally unacceptable for them to be managers, administrators, doctors, lawyers, and Members of Congress. The unspoken assumption is that women are different. They do not have executive ability orderly minds, stability, leadership skills, and they are too emotional. It has been observed before, that society for a long time, discriminated against another minority, the blacks, on the same basis - that they were different and inferior. The happy little homemaker and the contented "old darkey" on the plantation were both produced by prejudice. As a black person, I am no stranger to race prejudice. But the truth is that in the political world I have been far oftener discriminated against because I am a woman than because I am black. Prejudice against blacks is becoming unacceptable although it will take years to eliminate it. But it is doomed because, slowly, white America is beginning to admit that it exists. Prejudice against women is still acceptable. There is very little understanding yet of the immorality involved in double pay scales and the classification of most of the better jobs as "for men only." More than half of the population of the United States is female. But women occupy only 2 percent of the managerial positions. They have not even reached the level of tokenism yet No women sit on the AFL-CIO council or Supreme Court There have been only two women who have held Cabinet rank, and at present there are none. Only two women now hold ambassadorial rank in the diplomatic corps. In Congress, we are down to one Senator and 10 Representatives.

Answer 1

Shirley Chisholm's speech powerfully highlights the persistent discrimination faced by women, particularly in the context of professional and political advancement. She addresses the systemic prejudices that perpetuate the stereotype of women's roles in society, contrasting acceptable positions like secretaries and teachers with the exclusion from leadership roles such as managers, lawyers, and politicians.

Chisholm draws a powerful parallel between the discrimination against women and the historical racism faced by African Americans, emphasizing that, although both forms of prejudice are rooted in societal misconceptions of inferiority, her experiences of discrimination as a woman have been more pronounced in her political career than those based on her race.

She criticizes the societal norms that allow for these inequities to persist, indicating that while progress is being made in addressing racial prejudice, gender discrimination remains largely unchallenged. Chisholm highlights the shocking statistics of women's representation in leadership roles, pointing out that they occupy a mere 2% of managerial positions and are drastically underrepresented in government leadership, including Congress and the Cabinet.

This speech serves as both a call to action and a reminder of the moral implications of gender discrimination. Chisholm advocates for recognition of women's capabilities and equal opportunity in all professional fields, beckoning society to confront and dismantle the systemic barriers that continue to marginalize women. Her words resonate as a powerful critique of the status quo and a demand for change in the pursuit of gender equality.