From 13 original members, the CBC has grown to 62 members nationwide, nearly half of whom are women, continuing the vital mission started by Shirley Chisholm and others, pushing justice, equal rights, and meaningful representation for Black Americans and marginalized communities.

Founders like Shirley Chisholm and John Conyers made bold moves – including boycotting President Nixon’s 1971 State of the Union after he refused to meet with them — setting the tone for decades of advocacy.

Before its formal establishment, these trailblazers organized as the Democratic Select Committee in 1969, creating a unified platform to fight inequality and systemic barriers.

The CBC was founded in 1971 by 13 members of Congress committed to amplifying Black voices in a legislative body where they had long been marginalized and underrepresented.