October 2008 Featured Books: Diverse Presidential Candidates in History
John F. Kennedy
Shirley Chisholm
Madam President
Much has been made of the firsts in this year’s presidential contest. The prominence of Mormon, African-American and female candidates for both the highest office in the land and the vice presidency has captivated the American public and raised questions about whether or not U.S. society is ready to overcome longstanding racial, religious and gender barriers.
During this election season, students may be surprised to learn that long before the 2008 election cycle, activists and politicians from diverse backgrounds made bids for the presidency that paved the way for today’s candidates.
Mitt Romney, for example, was neither the first Mormon nor the first religious minority to seek the presidency. Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Mormon Church, ran for president in 1844 and was assassinated by an angry mob prior to the election. In 1928 New York Governor Al Smith made a run for the presidency and faced significant prejudice because he was Catholic. Thirty-two years later, John F. Kennedy became the first Catholic president and the only non-Protestant to ever hold this office.
Well before the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote, Victoria Woodhull became the first woman to run for president in 1872, and her Equal Rights Party nominated African-American leader Frederick Douglass to serve as vice president (though he declined the nomination). Woodhull broke ground for dozens of future female candidates, including Belva Lockwood (1884, 1888); Margaret Chase Smith (1964); Bella Abzug (1972); Patricia Schroeder (1984); Elizabeth Dole (2000); and Hillary Clinton (2008).
In 1972, Shirley Chisholm—the first African-American woman to be elected to Congress—also became the first African-American to run for president, campaigning on the promise that she was “unbought and unbossed.” Since breaking this racial barrier, a number of African Americans have made a run for the presidency, including Jesse Jackson (1984, 1988); Lenora Fulani (1988, 1992), the first woman and African American to get on the ballot in all 50 states; Alan Keyes (1996, 2000, 2008); Al Sharpton, Jr. (2004); Carol Moseley Braun (2004), the first and only African American woman elected to the U.S. Senate; and Barack Obama (2008).
This election season, ADL features books for students that profile some of the “firsts” in the history of the presidency, and help students to connect past struggles against bias and discrimination to the opportunities that today’s candidates enjoy.
John F. Kennedy: The Making of a Leader (Biographies for Kids Series) TIME for Kids (Author) Ritu Upadhyay (Author)
Using simple text and lots of visuals, this biography introduces Kennedy's childhood, family life, military service and political life. Pivotal events are discussed, including The Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, Cold War, civil rights movement, and JFK's assassination.
Shirley Chisholm's rise to prominence in the U. S. political arena is depicted in this addition to the First Book series. The readable, large-print text focuses on the varied political aspects of Chisholm's career, including her election as the first black woman to Congress and her run for the presidency.
Madam President: The Extraordinary, True (and Evolving) Story of Women in Politics Catherine Thimmesh (Author), Douglas B. Jones (Illustrator)
This book provides 23 thumbnail sketches of women involved in politics in the United States and abroad. The subjects are divided into six categories and tied together by cartoon vignettes of a young girl who wants to be president. The author briefly highlights each individual's primary achievements and importance, and includes a quotation from each one. Subjects include Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sandra Day O'Connor, Geraldine Ferraro, Margaret Thatcher, Vigdis Finnbogadottir, Nancy Pelosi and Mrs. J. L. Burn.
