💬 Bring a Folding Chair
Shirley Chisholm · First Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress
"If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair."
She Never Waited for an Invitation
Shirley Chisholm was elected to Congress in 1968 and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972 — the first Black candidate and first woman to seek it from a major party. Political strategist Donna Brazile, who knew her personally, has credited Chisholm with this exact piece of advice.
It's a practical answer to a problem a lot of people just accept: what to do when the room wasn't built with you in mind. Chisholm's answer wasn't to wait for the room to change first — it was to show up in it anyway.
Think of one place you've been holding back because you weren't sure you belonged there yet. Show up anyway, even in some small way — bring your own chair instead of waiting for one.
Want more of a lift?