Capitol News

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II has received the Shirley Chisholm Award from the National Congress of Black Women (NCBW), an honor that recognizes his work on behalf of working-class residents in Michigan. Gilchrist is the first Black lieutenant governor in the state’s history.

“Shirley Chisholm was a trailblazing leader who fought tirelessly for justice and stood tall for working Americans,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “She was the first Black woman to be elected to Congress and the first to run for a major party’s nomination for President. Her courage, conviction, and compassion are a legacy for us all to remember. As Michigan’s first Black lieutenant governor, I’m proud to follow in her footsteps and work every day to help more people stay and succeed in Michigan. Let us keep striving every day to build a better future for all.”

Shirley Chisholm, born in Brooklyn in 1928, became the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968 and later ran for president as the first African American candidate seeking a major party’s nomination. She helped found both the Congressional Black Caucus and the National Women's Political Caucus, focusing her career on civil rights, women’s rights, nutrition programs for low-income families, and advocacy for working-class Americans.

Gilchrist credits Chisholm as an inspiration for his own path from software engineering at Microsoft to community organizing before running alongside Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Since taking office, he has worked on criminal justice reform, affordable housing initiatives, expanding internet access, and other policies aimed at supporting Michigan workers.

The NCBW was established by Shirley Chisholm and Dr. Dolores Tucker in 1984 with a mission to promote educational, political, economic, and cultural development among African American women and their families. The Metro Detroit Congress of Black Women continues this legacy locally by advocating on behalf of families and communities.

The Whitmer-Gilchrist administration has enacted several measures intended to support Michiganders statewide. These include eliminating retirement taxes—resulting in savings averaging $1,000 annually for about half a million households—and increasing tax credits for working families by five times their previous value, providing up to $3,150 back to approximately 700,000 families. The administration also reports repairing or replacing over 24,500 miles of roadways and more than 1,900 bridges; increasing per-student funding by 26%, marking a record high; providing free school meals to over 1.4 million students; expanding free pre-Kindergarten education and community college opportunities; extending health coverage through Healthy Michigan; launching efforts like Operation Safe Neighborhoods which removed over 850 illegal firearms from circulation; and replacing more than 11,000 lead pipes across the state.