Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the Congressional Black Caucus and several other House members unveiled a portrait this week of the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, who was the first African-American woman to launch a serious run for the White House. Read more.

Former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney headed to Gaza Monday, part of a group of activists going to provide medicine to victims in the war-ravaged region. McKinney, the first Black woman to represent Georgia, ran as the Green Party candidate for president after losing her congressional seat in 2006. McKinney’s father, former Georgia state Rep. Billy McKinney, said her mother did not want her to go. “But I think that certain people have missions in life and you can’t deter them,” he said. The trip to Gaza was organized by the Free Gaza Group, which launched its 66-foot yacht called “SS Dignity” from Cypress. The effort defies an Israeli blockade. The supplies McKinney and others are transporting to the area are for people wounded from Israeli bombings against targets in Gaza, in retaliation for rocket fire aimed at civilians in southern Israeli towns. Israel’s aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip continued for a third day on Monday. By Monday, the death toll rose to 364, with some 1,400 reported wounded, according to Palestinian medical officials.