Transcript Equal Rights for Women

Equal Rights for Women
Shirley Chisholm
Background
• Born November 30, 1924 in New
York City.
• Was a child to immigrant parents
from Barbados.
• Attended Brooklyn College and
joined debate team.
• Earned a masters degree in early
childhood education.
Audio Snippet
• No video was recorded during the time of her
speech because it was given during a
congressional session. However, here is a
video recapping Shirley Chisholm’s life and
effects she had on women’s rights by giving
this speech.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95RqRH
GVvg&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mod
e=1&safe=active
Giving the Speech Myself
S u b j e c t & P u r p o s e
• Subject: The subject of this speech is equal rights.
However, it is centered on the rights of women.
 “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.”
• Purpose: The purpose was to address the negligence
America showed in providing equal rights for women.
 “Considering that there are about 3 1/2 million more women in the United States than men this
situation is outrageous.”
Occasion & Audience
• Occasion: Shirley Chisholm was addressing The United
States House of Representatives on May 21, 1969 in
Washington, DC.
 “Mr. Speaker”
• Audience: The United States House of Representatives.
Speaker & Tone
• Speaker: Shirley Chisholm is a very credible speaker
due to her personal experience with prejudice. She
experienced this in the political world not only
because she was African American, but because she
was a woman.
 “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.”
• Tone: Inspiring, Urgent, Informative, and Persuasive.
Analysis
• “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?”
 This quote should strike the attention of males as well as females. Men
were allowing women to have the responsibility of educating their
children or even handling the documents at their jobs. This is alarming
because if their opinions of women are true that they can’t have great or
important roles in society, it diminishes the value they have for their
children or work place. If a woman is so called “incompetent”, why would
you allow her to handle important files or more importantly teach your
children? The answer to this question is simple. You wouldn’t allow an
incompetent woman to have these responsibilities. The men knew the
women could perform great tasks, they just didn’t want to share
superiority with the opposite gender.
Analysis
• “Women need no protection that men do not need. What we need
are laws to protect working people, to guarantee them fair pay, safe
working conditions, protection against sickness and layoffs, and
provision for dignified, comfortable retirement. Men and women
need these things equally. That one sex needs protection more than
the other is a male supremacist myth as ridiculous and unworthy of
respect as the white supremacist myths that society is trying to cure
itself of at this time.”
 This segment of the speech illustrates who Shirley Chisholm is as a
person. She’s fair, just, and determined to do what’s right. Her focus
shifts from women to people as a whole. The quote “men and
women need these things equally” supports the fact that she isn’t
just fighting for women, but she’s fighting for the greater cause;
equality for everyone in her country. It also makes room for more
admiration, because she’s unbiased. This one quality can cause her
to be loved by people of all race, gender, and culture.
Major Premise
• “It is obvious that discrimination exists.
Women do not have the opportunities that
men do.”
• Like the prejudice against African Americans,
the prejudice against women was no secret.
Because of the way they were born, a group of
people (women) are denied equal
opportunity. During this time men had the
upper hand and they would not change that.
Ethos
• “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.”
 This makes Shirley Chisholm a more credible
speaker because she has personal experience.
 She has been discriminated against more than
some women because in addition to her
“misfortune” in gender, she is also African
American.
 The audience can better respect her,
because of her personal encounters.
Pathos
• “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?''
 This appeals to the audience’s emotions because it causes
one to place themselves in a woman’s shoes.
 When looking for a job, the first thing they will encounter
is a swipe at their dignity.
 A woman’s intelligence, character, and personality is
automatically shot down because of gender prejudices.
 They are judged before they are even known.
Logos
• “It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women
do not have the opportunities that men do.”
 Shirley Chisholm knew that this statement was
common sense within itself.
 Discrimination is not hidden.
 It makes sense for her to emphasize this,
because her focus is the lack of rights for women.
 It reiterates her message to the audience.
Repetition
•
•
•
•
•
•
“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.”
“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.”
“It is true that part of the problem has been that women have not been aggressive in
demanding their rights.”
“As in the field of equal rights for blacks, Spanish-Americans, the Indians, and other
groups, laws will not change such deep-seated problems overnight.”
Throughout this speech, the words discriminated, prejudice, and rights are repeated
constantly. The three terms were apart of the vernacular during the time of
segregation. Prejudice and discrimination were used repeatedly to emphasize the lack
of rights for women. The terms expound the speaker’s purpose in her argument and
fight for equality. In addition to this, I find it ironic that prejudice and discriminated
were used as often as the word rights, because the terms contradict one another.
Phrasing/Meaning
• “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.”
 This quotes reminds us that prejudice is not new to our society. Instead, it
is being passed along to demean others. It is no longer just prejudice
towards race but gender as well.
• “The unspoken assumption is that women are different. They do not have
executive ability orderly minds, stability, leadership skills, and they are too
emotional.”
 This illustrates the idea men have of women. However, being a woman,
Shirley Chisholm sees this as a misconception. Like the saying, “beauty is
in the eye of the beholder.” Just because a man sees a woman this way
doesn’t mean it’s true, it’s just their perspective.
Powerful Lines
• “More than half of the population of the United States is
female. But women occupy only 2 percent of the
managerial positions.”
• “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.“
• “Existing laws are not adequate to secure equal rights for
women.”
• “If women are already equal, why is it such an event
whenever one happens to be elected to Congress?”
• “And women that do not conform to the system, who try to
break with the accepted patterns, are stigmatized as ''odd''
and "unfeminine."
Some Favorites
•
“Considering that there are about 3 1/2
million more women in the United States
than men, this situation is outrageous.”

This one statement simply makes it
clear that women should have just as
many rights as men if not more.
Politically women have the upper hand
because they are the majority. Women
are the foundation because without
them there would be no men.
• “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.”
 I believe this symbolizes change and
responsibility. Due to submission and
acceptance, the discrimination practices
against women expanded throughout
the course of time. In time however,
more determined and courageous
women came on the scene. They took
the responsibility and stood to change
•
“If women are already equal, why is it
such an event whenever one happens
to be elected to Congress?”
 It is clear that men do not want to
view women as equal. They would
much rather see them as a cook,
housewife, and mother then to see
them hold a political office. They fear
the chance that a woman might outdo
them in their so called “role”.
• “The fact is that a woman who aspires
to be chairman of the board, or a
Member of the House, does so for
exactly the same reasons as any man.”
 It should not be considered an
anomaly for a woman to desire to have
the same occupation as a man. There
shouldn’t be a gender specific
qualification. A woman can do just as
much as any man.
To Follow
• After giving this speech, Shirley Chisholm served seven terms in
congress.
• Ran for president as a democrat in 1972.
• Received votes from 14 states, and received 151 of delegates
votes.
• One of the founders of National Women’s Political Caucus
• In 1977 she was appointed to the “powerful” House of Rules
Committee where she introduced over 50 pieces of legislation.
• Was nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, but had to
decline because of health issues.
• Left the political scope in 1983 to teach and lecture.
• Co-founded National Political Congress of Black Women.
• Died in 2005.
When asked how she wanted to be remembered, Chisholm said, “When I
die, I want to be remembered as a woman who lived in the 20th century
and who dared to be a catalyst of change. I don’t want to be remembered
as the first black woman who went to Congress. And I don’t even want to
be remembered as the first woman who happened to be black to make the
bid for the presidency. I want to be remembered as a woman who fought
for change in the 20th century. That’s what I want.”
Citations
• "National Women's History Museum." Education &
Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.nwhm.org/educationresources/biography/biographies/shirley-anita-chisholm/>.
• "Miaya & Oscar- Shirley Chisholm: Equal Rights for
Women.m4v." YouTube. YouTube, 04 May 2012. Web. 11
Apr. 2013.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x95RqRHGVvg>.
• "National Women's History Museum." Education &
Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.nwhm.org/educationresources/biography/biographies/shirley-anita-chisholm/>.
Questions?