I'm looking to no man walking this earth for approval of what I'm doing.
Interpretation
One should seek inner validation rather than rely on others' approval.
This quote emphasizes the importance of self-approval and independence in one's actions. Shirley Chisholm highlights that true confidence comes from within and that one should not seek validation from others, particularly in the pursuit of personal goals or beliefs.
In practice
In a motivational speech about pursuing dreams without fear of judgment.
I was the first American citizen to be elected to Congress in spite of the double drawbacks of being female and having skin darkened by melanin. When you put it that way, it sounds like a foolish reason for fame. In a just and free society it would be foolish. That I am a national figure because I was the first person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black and a woman proves, I think, that our society is not yet either just or free.
I stand before you today to repudiate the ridiculous notion that the American people will not vote for qualified candidates simply because he is not white or because she is not a male.
The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says, 'It's a girl.'
I know that millions of Americans from all walks of life agree with me that leadership does not mean putting the ear to the ground to follow public opinion, but to have the vision of what is necessary and the courage to make it possible.
Of course laws will not eliminate prejudice from the hearts of human beings. But that is no reason to allow prejudice to continue to be enshrined in our laws - to perpetuate injustice through inaction.
I want history to remember me... not as the first black woman to have made a bid for the presidency of the United States, but as a black woman who lived in the 20th century and who dared to be herself. I want to be remembered as a catalyst for change in America.
It takes a great deal of courage and independence to decide to design your own image instead of the one that society rewards, but it gets easier as you go along.
People say to me all the time, 'You have no fear.' I tell them, 'No, that's not true. I'm scared all the time. You have to have fear in order to have courage. I'm a courageous person because I'm a scared person.'
It became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality.
You work your butt off and somebody says you can't have your record played because it offends them. Tyrants are made of such stuff.
The struggle isn't just about being straight or gay or transgender - it's a human struggle. That's always really been my kind of starting point: If you're out there and you're odd, come over to my house.
The sufferings that fate inflicts on us should be borne with patience, what enemies inflict with manly courage.
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