On this day, November 5, in 1968

New York politician Shirley Chisholm was elected into the House of Representatives becoming the first black woman to enter the United States Congress. She served as a Congresswoman for seven terms during which time she made a bid for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Although she ultimately lost the nomination to a South Dakota Senator, Chisholm stated that she ran for the office to resist the status quo. While in Congress, Chisholm got a bill passed giving domestic workers the right to a minimum wage; she worked to improve opportunities for inner-city residents; she was a vocal opponent of the draft; and she actively fought to reduce military spending in order to increase the budget for social services like education and healthcare.