Question

"Shirley Chisolm Speech"
by Shirley Chisolm

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.

It is true that part of the problem has been that women have not been aggressive in demanding their rights. This was also true of the black population for many years. They submitted to oppression and even cooperated with it. Women have done the same thing. But now there is an awareness of this situation particularly among the younger segment of the population.

It is for this reason that I wish to introduce today a proposal that has been before every Congress for the last 40 years and that sooner or later must become part of the basic law of the land -- the equal rights amendment.

Let me note and try to refute two of the commonest arguments that are offered against this amendment. One is that women are already protected under the law and do not need legislation. Existing laws are not adequate to secure equal rights for women. Sufficient proof of this is the concentration of women in lower paying, menial, unrewarding jobs and their incredible scarcity in the upper level jobs. If women are already equal, why is it such an event whenever one happens to be elected to Congress?

Answer 1

I have the excerpt — what would you like me to do with it? Here are some options; pick one or tell me another:

- Quick summary
- Analyze main arguments and rhetorical devices
- Provide historical context (Chisholm’s role, ERA history)
- Expand into a short lesson plan or classroom activity
- Rewrite for a particular audience or shorter speech
- Create discussion questions or debate prompts
- Check factual claims / provide sources and citations
- Translate or simplify the text

Quick summary of the excerpt:
Shirley Chisholm points out the stark underrepresentation of women in leadership and public office despite being over half the population. She argues existing laws do not ensure equal opportunity, citing the concentration of women in low-paying jobs and the rarity of women elected to high office. She introduces and supports the Equal Rights Amendment, and begins to refute common objections—specifically the claim that legal protections already suffice.

If you want historical context now: Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress (1968) and a prominent advocate for women’s and civil rights. The Equal Rights Amendment had been proposed for decades; Congress passed it in 1972 but it ultimately failed to achieve the necessary state ratifications by the 1982 deadline.

Tell me which option you want and I’ll proceed.