Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, taught in Brooklyn, and went to Washington from Brooklyn as the first Black woman ever elected to Congress before running for president in 1972. Built with the Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute, this exhibit treats her as a local political operator rather than a poster. If you are in the park anyway, it is a free half-hour that changes how you read the neighbourhood.
What to expect
A compact indoor exhibit of panels, images and documents tracing Chisholm's path from Brooklyn classrooms to the House of Representatives and the 1972 presidential campaign. Staff from the Alliance and the Cultural Institute are on hand during open hours. It takes half an hour to work through carefully, and pairs easily with the rest of a park visit.
Good to know
- Free, with no ticket required
- The B/Q to Prospect Park or the S to Botanic Garden are the closest stops
- Open afternoon hours rather than all day, so time your park visit around it
- Compact enough to see properly in half an hour
- Suits adults and school-age children studying US history
- Indoors, which makes it a good rainy-afternoon option inside a park day
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Common questions
Is the exhibit free?
Yes. It is free and requires no ticket.
Who produced it?
Prospect Park Alliance in partnership with the Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute.
How long does it take to see?
About half an hour, which makes it easy to fold into a wider Prospect Park visit.
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