Shirley Chisholm, Congressional Pioneer, Dies at 80

By Melissa Block

Published January 3, 2005 at 12:00 AM EST

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Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress, died at her home in Florida over the weekend. NPR's Melissa Block offers a tribute, and tape of Chisholm's 1972 announcement that she was running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

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Melissa Block

As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.

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