From 1977 to 1979, I worked for the late Shirley Chisholm as a legislative assistant while she was a member of the House ["Pioneering Politician, Advocate Shirley Chisholm Dies," obituaries, Jan. 4]. During her 14 years in Congress, Mrs. Chisholm gave dozens of women like me opportunities to hold professional positions on Capitol Hill at a time when most of her male colleagues confined women to secretarial or clerical positions. People would stare at Mrs. Chisholm when she walked down the hall because of her entourage of female staffers who accompanied her.
We called ourselves the "Chis-ettes," and we referred to Mrs. Chisholm fondly as "Miss C." We loved her because she embraced us and encouraged us, and she dared to tell men -- and all Americans, for that matter -- that women were in the halls of power and were there to stay.
Shirley Chisholm was a smart, endearing, classy, outspoken and determined lady who taught me two pivotal life lessons:
• I could be a "feminine feminist" in a man's world and still earn the power I needed to get the job done.
• Beauty comes in many forms, and when we limit our concept of beauty to appearance we are missing the boat.
LAURA W. MURPHY
Director
Washington Legislative Office
American Civil Liberties Union
Washington
