- December 4, 2025
Shirley Chisholm's god-daughter Marie Bosley-Ford presents Agnes Lightfoot, president of the Democratic Women's Club of Flagler County, an official movie poster for "Shirley," a biographical Netflix movie that premiered in March. Photo by Sierra Williams
Florida Senator Rosalind Osgood. Photo by Sierra Williams
Stacey Smith performs "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Photo by Sierra Williams
Florida Sen. Rosalind Osgood and Marva Jones, Flagler County Democratic Women's Club member. Photo by Sierra Williams
The luncheon was held in honor of what would have been Shirley Chisholm's 100th birthday. Around the room, posters were set up featuring Chisholm's most famous quotes. Photo by Sierra Williams
Students in the Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast High Schools' African American Mentoring Program for Girls were asked to serve food at the Shirley Chisholm birthday luncheon. Courtesy of Flagler Education Foundation
New school board member Janie Ruddy gave a speech about education at the Shirley Chisholm luncheon. Photo by Sierra Williams
Students in the Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast High Schools' African American Mentoring Program for Girls serve food at the Shirley Chisholm birthday luncheon. Photo by Sierra Williams
Marie Bosley-Ford, god-daughter of Shirley Chisholm, and Agnes Lightfoot, president of the Democratic Women's Club of Flagler County. Photo by Sierra Williams
The luncheon was held in honor of what would have been Shirley Chisholm's 100th birthday. Photo by Sierra Williams
Buttons featuring Shirley Chisholm were handed out to attendees. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Flagler County Democratic Women’s Club turned out in force on Nov. 22 to celebrate the 100th birthday of one of Flagler and Palm Coast’s iconic figures: Shirley Chisholm.
“Chisholm became a trail blazer, not because she sought fame, but because she understood the real change demands courage,” Flagler School Board member Janie Ruddy said.
Chisholm, who lived in Palm Coast from 1991 until her death in 2005, was the first Black American woman to sit in Congress, and the first Black woman to run for the presidency. She served in congress for seven terms, from 1969 to 1983.
Chisholm died Jan. 1, 2005 at 80 years old.
This was the third annual birthday celebration the Democratic Women’s Club held in honor of Chisholm. The luncheon, held in advance of Chisholm’s Nov. 30 birthday, was held at the Palm Coast Community Center and featured Florida Sen. Rosalind Osgood as the keynote speaker, alongside Ruddy and Chisholm’s goddaughter Marie Bosley-Ford.
“[Chisholm] was unwavering in her commitment to her democracy,” Osgood said.
This was also the third year that Palm Coast and the city Parks and Recreation unveiled a new addition honoring Chisholm. In 2022, the city dedicated a walking trail on Pine Lakes Parkway to Chisholm, complete with a memorial stone marker and plaque.
In 2023, the city and the Democratic Women’s Club added seven trail markers along the Shirley Chisholm Trail with some of Chisholm’s slogans. This year, the city, working with the Democratic Women’s Club, added QR codes that, when scanned with a phone camera, will play three-minute recordings about the slogan featured on the trail marker, according to a Democratic Women’s Club booklet from the luncheon.
The codes were launched in early November, the booklet said.
During her tenure in Congress and campaigns, Chisholm became known for saying she was “unbought and unbossed,” words Chisholm embodied, Ruddy said.
“These were not just words. They were a creed that guided her life and work,” Ruddy said. “She didn't just take a seat, she commanded attention, introducing over 50 pieces of legislation and championing causes often ignored by her peers.”
One of Chisholm’s most profound contributions was to education, Ruddy said, fighting for policies to ensure equal access to quality education for all children, “even those from underprivileged backgrounds.”
Ruddy credited Chisholm’s example as making it possible for her to step into a leadership role.
“In a time when voices of women, all women, were too often silenced. Shirley's voice roared and her actions resonated,” Ruddy said.
Ruddy and Osgood said they must continue the fight Chisholm started.
She stood for the democratic principles of fairness, equality and freeom, Osgood said. Chisholm taught them all that "we must not only demand justice, we must be a part of what is going on, a part of the process," she said.
“Shirley Chisholm understood in her moment in time, that she had been called on at that time,” Osgood said. "And I believe all of us have been called for this time."
