1st Student's Major
Gender and Women's Studies
1st Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Students' Professional Biography
Andrea Diekman is a student in the Gender and Women's Studies Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Mentor's Name
Jocelyn Fenton Stitt
Mentor's Email Address
jocelyn.stitt@mnsu.edu
Mentor's Department
Gender and Women's Studies
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
In order to get their voices heard, groups with different interests and needs, often racially, socially, and economically marginalized groups, must take an active role in developing policies. Political representation is essential in articulating the need for change and then creating that change. Both women and African Americans have different significant problems gaining political office that their White male counterpoints do not. African American women are especially disadvantaged because of their challenges with the interlocking oppressions of both racism and sexism. A specific woman and candidacy that this study examines more closely was for the presidency. In 1972, Shirley Chisholm was the first Black female to run for the Democratic Party nomination for president. Although she was also the only Black and only female candidate competing in the primaries, both the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Congressional Black Caucus did not endorse her. This content analysis looked specifically at the New York Times article coverage of her during her 1972 campaign. Questions that were sought to be answered included: How did the New York Times present Shirley Chisholm’s candidacy during her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972? What would the reading audience be able to gather about her and her candidacy based on the information offered? Was she portrayed as a non-serious contender based on her race and/or gender? A content analysis was conducted to investigate these questions in order to identify areas that change needs to be made in order to increase the number of Black women elected to political office.
Recommended Citation
Diekman, Andrea
(2009)
"Covering the 1972 Chisholm Campaign: Shaping Perceptions and Postponing Progress,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato: Vol. 9, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56816/2378-6949.1054
Available at:
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/jur/vol9/iss1/1
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