New York, NY, January 18, 2005 … In celebration of Black History Month, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is distributing to middle and high school educators a new lesson plan based on the life and accomplishments of Shirley Chisholm, a key civil rights figure and the first black woman elected to Congress.

Shirley Chisholm: Unbought, Unbossed and Unforgotten traces the former congresswoman's life and career and helps students explore her thoughts about – and reactions to – some of the major issues of her time.  The curriculum is part of ADL's Curriculum Connections, a series of online teaching resources being developed by ADL to help elementary, middle and high school educators integrate multicultural, anti-bias and social justice themes into their lesson plans.

"When Shirley Chisholm passed away earlier this year, we thought it was a wonderful opportunity to develop a lesson plan that would celebrate this remarkable woman's life, while using her accomplishments as jumping off point for teaching about the history of civil rights in America," said Ed Alster, ADL Director of Education. "We hope that, through this curriculum, students will learn about an important historical figure and recognize the positive impact that courage and determination can have in the face of prejudice and discrimination."

A champion of civil rights from Brooklyn, New York, Chisholm, who passed away at the age of 80 on January 1, was first elected to congress in November 1968, just seven months after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Chisholm, who went on to serve seven terms, was a vocal advocate for the rights of children, women, Native Americans, the poor and other marginalized groups. She advocated strongly for the creation of a national day in honor of Dr. King – established in 1983 after a 15-year struggle – and was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The curriculum is available to teachers free of charge and may be accessed on the League's Web site.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.