Before she entered politics, Shirley Chisholm was an educator and an advocate for poor children. She saw first-hand that children and families living in poverty were often ignored by the government; she also saw that most of the agencies with power were run by white people, and while they were well-meaning, they were often unaware of the needs of the black community. She decided that becoming part of the political process might be a way to speak up on behalf of those whom she perceived as lacking a voice. That resulted in her running for election to the New York State Assembly, and later, running for congress.
