On this date in 1972 Democratic National Convention opened, in Miami Beach, Florida. It was a historic convention, with Black delegates making up 15% of the total—a reflection of the increasing influence of African Americans in the Democratic Party following the civil rights movement.

During the nomination process, Senator George S. McGovern of South Dakota won the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, defeating several rivals, including former Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson, and Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm of New York.

Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for a major party’s presidential nomination, made history with her campaign. She received 151.95 delegate votes out of over 2,000 ballots on the first roll call—an impressive achievement for a candidate who faced both racial and gender barriers.

McGovern went on to select Senator Thomas Eagleton as his running mate, though Eagleton was later replaced by Sargent Shriver after revelations about his mental health treatment. In the general election, McGovern lost in a landslide to President Richard Nixon.