La Vaughn Belle, Artist in Residence in BCRW’s Social Justice Institute, is one of five finalists to design a New York City monument dedicated to Shirley Chisholm. Chisholm (1924-2005) was a political pioneer; she became the first black woman elected to Congress, where she represented New York’s 12th Congressional District for seven terms (1969 to 1983). In 1972, she made history again by becoming the first black woman to run for the presidential nomination of a major party. With her trademark slogan “Unbought and Unbossed,” Chisholm paved the way for women of all backgrounds to run for public office. Her statue is being erected at the entrance of Prospect Park in Brooklyn.
Belle’s monument, “Chisholm Trail,” takes a famous quote by Chisholm as a point of departure: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
The other finalists are Firelei Báez, Tanda Francis, Mickalene Thomas, and Amanda Williams & Olalekan Jeyifous. The winning proposal will be commissioned as part of the She Built NYC initiative, organized by New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs.
Image credit: Rendering of La Vaughn Belle’s proposal, courtesy of the artist. http://www.tb-credit.ru/microzaim.html http://www.tb-credit.ru/microkredit.html