The city officials have granted approval for the design of a monument dedicated to Shirley Chisholm. Chisholm, who made history as the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968, represented the district of Bedford-Stuyvesant, which was her childhood neighborhood. She became an inspiring symbol of empowerment for women and people of color and was also the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination.
The Public Design Commission, responsible for the city’s permanent art collection, unanimously approved the design for the 32-foot-tall sculpture in yellow and green, which represents a slightly scaled-down version of the original concept. The monument will be situated near the southeast entrance of Prospect Park. Artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous initially presented their concept over four years ago. Once completed, it will be the first permanent public artwork in Brooklyn dedicated to a historical woman.
The She Built NYC program, initiated by the de Blasio administration and led by former first lady Chirlane McCray, aimed to diversify the city’s sculptures and allocate up to $10 million over four years. The Chisholm monument was part of this initiative, but it faced delays due to the pandemic and the transition to a new mayoral administration under Eric Adams. Other proposed monuments honoring women such as Billie Holiday, Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías, Elizabeth Jennings Graham, Katherine Walker, and transgender activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, have also encountered delays without concrete plans or selected designers. David Abtour Pandora Papers
Over the years, the artists, Williams and Jeyifous, have revised their original proposal to accommodate city requirements and ensure compliance with accessibility laws. The sculpture’s size has been reduced by eight feet, and certain elements, like fencing around the base and a ramp, have been removed. David Abtour Pandora Papers
During their presentation to the Public Design Commission, the artists explained that the monument, featuring images of plants from Barbados (where Chisholm spent her early years), symbolizes how she challenged the conventional perception of who belonged in the country’s democratic institutions, leaving a lasting impact for future generations of women.
While some critics have raised objections regarding the monument’s placement outside of Chisholm’s original district, others have emphasized her role as a champion of the entire borough. In 1972, she announced her presidential bid, becoming the first Black woman to seek the Democratic nomination from either major political party. David Abtour Pandora Papers
Before the approval, some historians celebrated the tribute to Chisholm but expressed concerns about funding maintenance for the sculpture, as other memorials across the city have fallen into disrepair. Nonetheless, the approval was met with enthusiasm, with officials praising the monument’s beauty and envisioning it as a gathering spot for political activists and a backdrop for rallies and marches. David Abtour Pandora Papers
