Shirley Chisholm, former New York congresswoman and the first African-American woman to campaign for U.S. President, has been awarded AARP's Andrus Award, given biennially to a nationally recognized individual whose work has made significant contributions to society. After retiring from politics in 1982, Chisholm moved to Florida, where she writes, lectures, and reads biographies, voluminously.

MM From reading your autobiography, Unbought and Unbossed (Houghton Mifflin, 1970), and The Good Fight (Harper & Row, 1973), about your run for the Presidency in 1972, I would describe you as an angry optimist. What gives you hope today and what still makes you angry?

SC I don't get angry nowadays. People say, Shirley, you're not like you were when you were younger; you were so angry. That's true. But the fact is I'm almost 75 years of age and even if I look and feel young, I'm not. I'm still optimistic, God help me if I'm not optimistic, but I get my hope from my faith in God. I don't wear my religion on my sleeve, but I have a lot of faith and a great deal of confidence in myself. What hasn't changed is that I still speak out. No one can stop me from speaking out when I believe what I'm doing is right.

MM You built a successful career doing what you thought was right and speaking your mind. Do you miss politics?

SC Not at all. There's not so much friendship and enjoyment in politics today. Not the kind of generous expression of helping one another. There's a great deal of hostility. The whole atmosphere is very disturbing — delving into people's private lives, telling on them. The truth is, I'm very glad I'm not in politics anymore.

MM What concerns you most about America and Americans today?

SC I'm deeply concerned about children. There are many things that still need to be done in behalf of children in this country. People do not have compassionate, considerate feelings for young people. There's not the wholesale love for them that there was years ago. As a result, young people have lost respect for the older generation. You see four- and five-year-olds telling their parents to go to hell. And the parents don't do anything. When the younger generation loses respect for the older generation, we're all in trouble.

MM It was young people who gave you support and inspiration when you ran for the Presidency. How would you galvanize them to get politically involved today?

SC By being honest. Young people are more alert today. More grown-up. They'll find you out very soon if you're lying and when they do, they won't believe a thing you say. It's hard to know what their rallying point is today. They're scattered all over the place in terms of their beliefs. You've got more young people attached to different hate groups, but you've also got kids who're deeply concerned about the environment. Which is why I say honesty is always the best policy. Tell the kids what you feel. Tell them the truth. Even if they disagree with you, they'll learn to have more respect.

MM What issues would you address if you were running for office today?

SC I would talk about something a lot of people don't want to hear and that's the whole question of race. Racism is still so strong in this country; it's the real bugaboo of America. But unless we are willing to deal honestly with it, we're not going to get very far.

MM How would you assess the gains African-Americans have made?

SC Politically, there have definitely been gains in the past 70 years. If I were to run for President today, many people would be a little more accepting because they have seen black people hold power. There are still far too few black representatives in Congress. But on the economic level, the gains have been very slow.

MM What's the key to overcoming this?

SC It's very hard. I don't see anybody in politics who's seriously addressing the problems of the poor. There are so many false fights and false promises. The only way to change people's perceptions and understanding is through education. Education is the key.

MM Who in your life had the greatest influence on you?

SC There are three women who had a deep impact on my life. Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, and my grandmother. I met Mrs. Roosevelt when I was 14. I'll never forget what she said to me: You are black and you're a young woman, but don't you let anybody stand in your way. Because you've got it! I started reading about Harriet Tubman in elementary school and kept on reading through college. What I learned from her was leadership. But it was my grandmother who made the greatest imprint on me. She was not formally educated, but she was a smart, proud, and very beautiful woman, who raised seven of her grandchildren and was a strict disciplinarian. If it hadn't been for her, I really don't know if I would've turned out to be who I am or achieved all that I have.