Barbara Jordan
Encyclopedia
Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was an American politician who was both a product and a leader, of the Civil Rights movement
. She was the first African American
elected to the Texas Senate
after Reconstruction and the first southern black female elected to the United States House of Representatives
. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
, among numerous other honors. On her death she became the first African-American woman to be buried in the Texas State Cemetery
. The main terminal of Austin-Bergstrom Airport is named for her.
. Her persistence won her a seat in the Texas Senate
in 1966, becoming the first African American
state senator since 1883 and the first black woman to serve in that body. Re-elected to a full term in the Texas Senate in 1968, she served until 1972. She was the first African-American female to serve as president pro tem of the state senate and served one day, June 10, 1972, as acting governor of Texas.
In 1972, she was elected to Congress, the first woman to represent Texas in the House in her own right (the first woman from Texas, Lera Thomas, had been elected as a stand-in for her husband, Albert Thomas
). She received extensive support from former President
Lyndon B. Johnson
, who helped her secure a position on the House Judiciary Committee
. In 1974, she made an influential, televised speech before the House Judiciary Committee supporting the impeachment
of Johnson's successor as president, Richard M. Nixon.
In 1976, Jordan, mentioned as a possible running mate to Jimmy Carter
of Georgia
, became instead the first African-American woman to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention
. Her speech in New York that summer was ranked 5th in "Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th century" list and was considered by many historian
s to have been the best convention keynote
speech in modern history. Despite not being a candidate, Jordan received one delegate vote (0.03%) for president at the convention.
Jordan retired from politics in 1979 and became an adjunct professor teaching ethics at the University of Texas at Austin
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She again was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 1992.
In 1994 and until her death in 1996, Jordan chaired the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, which advocated increased restriction of immigration
, called for all U.S. residents to carry a national identity card and increased penalties on employers that violated U.S. immigration regulations. Then-President Clinton endorsed the Jordan Commission's proposals. While she was Chair of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform she argued that "it is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.” Her stance on immigration is cited by opponents of current US immigration policy who cite her willingness to penalize employers who violate US immigration regulations, to tighten border security, and to oppose amnesty or any other pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants and to broaden the grounds for the deportation of legal immigrants.
Jordan supported the Community Reinvestment Act
of 1977, legislation that required banks to lend and make services available to underserved poor and minority communities. She supported the renewal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and expansion of that act to cover language minorities. This extended protection to Hispanics in Texas and was opposed by Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe
and Secretary of State Mark White
.
In 1956, she graduated magna cum laude from Texas Southern with a double major in political science and history. She expressed an interest in attending Harvard University School of Law, but opted instead to go to Boston University School of Law, and graduated in 1959.
In 1973, Jordan began to suffer from multiple sclerosis
. She had difficulty climbing stairs, and she started using a cane and eventually a wheelchair
. She kept the state of her health out of the press so well that in the KUT radio documentary Rediscovering Barbara Jordan, President
Bill Clinton
stated that he wanted to nominate Jordan for the United States Supreme Court, but by the time he could do so, Jordan's health problems prevented him from nominating her.
Jordan's partner of close to 30 years was Nancy Earl. Jordan met Earl, an educational psychologist
who would become an occasional speech writer in addition to Jordan's partner, on a camping trip in the late 1960s. Jordan never publicly acknowledged her sexual orientation, but in her obituary, the Houston Chronicle mentioned her long relationship with Earl. However, Jordan biographer Mary Beth Rogers, author of "Barbara Jordan: American Hero," had not confirmed that the former congresswoman was a lesbian. After Jordan's initial unsuccessful statewide races, advisers warned her to become more discreet and not bring any female partners on the campaign trail.
Jordan narrowly escaped death by drowning in July `1988 when Earl pulled her from their backyard swimming pool. Her death in 1996 was caused from complications of pneumonia.
In 1993, Jordan was honored with the Elizabeth Blackwell
Award from Hobart and William Smith Colleges
. Jordan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
in 1994. The many other honors given to her include her election into both the Texas and National Women's Hall of Fame
; she was awarded the prestigious United States Military Academy's
Sylvanus Thayer Award
, becoming only the second female awardee.
Upon her death on January 17, 1996, Jordan lay in state
at the LBJ Library
on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin
. She was buried in the Texas State Cemetery
in Austin, and was the first black woman interred there. Her papers are housed at the Barbara Jordan Archives at Texas Southern University
.
The main terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
is named after her, as are an elementary school in Odessa
, Texas, a middle school in Cibolo
, Texas; Barbara Jordan High School
in Houston and a Young Men's Christian Association in Martinsville
, Indiana
.
The Kaiser Family Foundation currently operates the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars
, a fellowship designed for people of color who are college juniors, seniors, and recent graduates as a summer experience working in a congressional office.
On March 27, 2000, a play on Jordan's life premièred at the Victory Garden Theater in Chicago, Illinois
. Titled, "Voice of Good Hope", Kristine Thatcher
's biographical evocation of Jordan's life played in theaters from San Francisco to New York.
On April 24, 2009, a Barbara Jordan statue was unveiled at the University of Texas at Austin, where Jordan taught at the time of her death. The Barbara Jordan statue campaign was paid for by a student fee increase approved by the University of Texas Board of Regents. The effort was originally spearheaded by the 2002-2003 Tappee class of the Texas Orange Jackets, the "oldest women's organization at the University" (of Texas at Austin).
Many of Jordan's speeches have been collected in a 2007 publication from the University of Texas Press, Barbara Jordan: Speaking the Truth with Eloquent Thunder."
In her namesake, the Jordan/Rustin Coalition (JRC) was created in California in 2000. This organization seeks to mobilize gay and lesbian African American to aid in the passage of marriage equality in the state of California. Along with Bayard Rustin
, a civilrights leader and close confidante of Martin Luther King, Jr.
, Barbara Jordan is remembered for her advocacy of progressive politics. "The mission of the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition (Jordan Rustin Coalition or JRC) is to empower Black same-gender loving, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and families in Greater Los Angeles, to promote equal marriage rights and to advocate for fair treatment of everyone without regard to race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression." http://jrcla.org/
portrayed Jordan in the solo musical comedy "ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Vol. 5" which includes the song "Nancy's Eyes" sung by the character of Jordan with music and lyrics by Estrada
.
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
. She was the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
elected to the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
after Reconstruction and the first southern black female elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...
, among numerous other honors. On her death she became the first African-American woman to be buried in the Texas State Cemetery
Texas State Cemetery
The Texas State Cemetery is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and Vice-President of the Republic of Texas, it was expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War...
. The main terminal of Austin-Bergstrom Airport is named for her.
Life and career
She campaigned unsuccessfully in 1962 and 1964 for the Texas House of RepresentativesTexas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
. Her persistence won her a seat in the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
in 1966, becoming the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
state senator since 1883 and the first black woman to serve in that body. Re-elected to a full term in the Texas Senate in 1968, she served until 1972. She was the first African-American female to serve as president pro tem of the state senate and served one day, June 10, 1972, as acting governor of Texas.
In 1972, she was elected to Congress, the first woman to represent Texas in the House in her own right (the first woman from Texas, Lera Thomas, had been elected as a stand-in for her husband, Albert Thomas
Albert Richard Thomas
This article is about the US Congressman. For the article on the French Socialist and First Director of the International Labour Organisation see Albert Thomas ....
). She received extensive support from former President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, who helped her secure a position on the House Judiciary Committee
United States House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
. In 1974, she made an influential, televised speech before the House Judiciary Committee supporting the impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
of Johnson's successor as president, Richard M. Nixon.
In 1976, Jordan, mentioned as a possible running mate to Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, became instead the first African-American woman to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention
1976 Democratic National Convention
The 1976 Democratic National Convention met at Madison Square Garden in New York City, from July 12 to July 15, 1976. The assembled United States Democratic Party delegates at the convention nominated Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia for President and Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota for Vice...
. Her speech in New York that summer was ranked 5th in "Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th century" list and was considered by many historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s to have been the best convention keynote
Keynote
A keynote in literature, music, or public speaking establishes the principal underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address...
speech in modern history. Despite not being a candidate, Jordan received one delegate vote (0.03%) for president at the convention.
Jordan retired from politics in 1979 and became an adjunct professor teaching ethics at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She again was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 1992.
In 1994 and until her death in 1996, Jordan chaired the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, which advocated increased restriction of immigration
Immigration reduction
Immigration reduction refers to a movement in the United States that advocates a reduction in the amount of immigration allowed into the country. Steps advocated for reducing the numbers of immigrants include advocating stronger action to prevent illegal entry and illegal immigration, and...
, called for all U.S. residents to carry a national identity card and increased penalties on employers that violated U.S. immigration regulations. Then-President Clinton endorsed the Jordan Commission's proposals. While she was Chair of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform she argued that "it is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.” Her stance on immigration is cited by opponents of current US immigration policy who cite her willingness to penalize employers who violate US immigration regulations, to tighten border security, and to oppose amnesty or any other pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants and to broaden the grounds for the deportation of legal immigrants.
Legislation
Community Reinvestment Act
The Community Reinvestment Act is a United States federal law designed to encourage commercial banks and savings associations to help meet the needs of borrowers in all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods...
of 1977, legislation that required banks to lend and make services available to underserved poor and minority communities. She supported the renewal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and expansion of that act to cover language minorities. This extended protection to Hispanics in Texas and was opposed by Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe
Dolph Briscoe
Dolph Briscoe, Jr. was a Uvalde, Texas rancher and businessman who was the 41st Governor of Texas between 1973 and 1979....
and Secretary of State Mark White
Mark White
Mark Wells White is an American lawyer, who served as the 43rd Governor of Texas from January 18,1983-January 20,1987.-Biography:...
.
Personal life
Jordan attended Texas Southern University and pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Barbara was a national champion debater, defeating her opponents from such schools as Yale and Brown and tying Harvard University.In 1956, she graduated magna cum laude from Texas Southern with a double major in political science and history. She expressed an interest in attending Harvard University School of Law, but opted instead to go to Boston University School of Law, and graduated in 1959.
In 1973, Jordan began to suffer from multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. She had difficulty climbing stairs, and she started using a cane and eventually a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
. She kept the state of her health out of the press so well that in the KUT radio documentary Rediscovering Barbara Jordan, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
stated that he wanted to nominate Jordan for the United States Supreme Court, but by the time he could do so, Jordan's health problems prevented him from nominating her.
Jordan's partner of close to 30 years was Nancy Earl. Jordan met Earl, an educational psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
who would become an occasional speech writer in addition to Jordan's partner, on a camping trip in the late 1960s. Jordan never publicly acknowledged her sexual orientation, but in her obituary, the Houston Chronicle mentioned her long relationship with Earl. However, Jordan biographer Mary Beth Rogers, author of "Barbara Jordan: American Hero," had not confirmed that the former congresswoman was a lesbian. After Jordan's initial unsuccessful statewide races, advisers warned her to become more discreet and not bring any female partners on the campaign trail.
Jordan narrowly escaped death by drowning in July `1988 when Earl pulled her from their backyard swimming pool. Her death in 1996 was caused from complications of pneumonia.
Awards, honors and memorials
Elizabeth Blackwell
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female doctor in the United States and the first on the UK Medical Register...
Award from Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
. Jordan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...
in 1994. The many other honors given to her include her election into both the Texas and National Women's Hall of Fame
National Women's Hall of Fame
The National Women's Hall of Fame is an American institution. It was created in 1969 by a group of people in Seneca Falls, New York, the location of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention...
; she was awarded the prestigious United States Military Academy's
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
Sylvanus Thayer Award
Sylvanus Thayer Award
The Sylvanus Thayer Award is an award that is given each year by the United States Military Academy at West Point. Sylvanus Thayer was the fifth superintendent of that academy and in honor of his achievements, the award was created...
, becoming only the second female awardee.
Upon her death on January 17, 1996, Jordan lay in state
Lying in state
Lying in state is a term used to describe the tradition in which a coffin is placed on view to allow the public at large to pay their respects to the deceased. It traditionally takes place in the principal government building of a country or city...
at the LBJ Library
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum is one of 13 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. The library houses 45 million pages of historical documents, including the papers of Lyndon Baines Johnson and those of his close associates and others...
on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. She was buried in the Texas State Cemetery
Texas State Cemetery
The Texas State Cemetery is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and Vice-President of the Republic of Texas, it was expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War...
in Austin, and was the first black woman interred there. Her papers are housed at the Barbara Jordan Archives at Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
.
The main terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is a mixed-use commercial airport located southeast of the central business district of Austin, Texas, United States. It covers and has two runways and three helipads.The airport began passenger service on May 23, 1999...
is named after her, as are an elementary school in Odessa
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, Texas, a middle school in Cibolo
Cibolo, Texas
Cibolo is a city in Guadalupe County in the U.S. state of Texas.-Schools:The City of Cibolo is served by the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District .Maxine and Lutrell Watts ElementaryO.G. Wiederstein Elementary...
, Texas; Barbara Jordan High School
Barbara Jordan High School
Barbara Jordan High School for Careers is a public secondary school located at 5800 Eastex Freeway in Houston, Texas, United States.Jordan serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Houston Independent School District....
in Houston and a Young Men's Christian Association in Martinsville
Martinsville, Indiana
Martinsville is a city in and the county seat of Morgan County, Indiana, United States; the population was 11,828 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
The Kaiser Family Foundation currently operates the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars
Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars
Known informally at the BJ scholars, this summer fellowship is sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The program brings talented African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander college seniors and recent graduates to...
, a fellowship designed for people of color who are college juniors, seniors, and recent graduates as a summer experience working in a congressional office.
On March 27, 2000, a play on Jordan's life premièred at the Victory Garden Theater in Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Titled, "Voice of Good Hope", Kristine Thatcher
Kristine Thatcher
-Life:Thatcher, born Margaret Schneider, began acting at 16 with a small professional company in her hometown, Lansing, Michigan. She went on to work at regional theaters across the country. Her first husband was actor Tim Thatcher...
's biographical evocation of Jordan's life played in theaters from San Francisco to New York.
On April 24, 2009, a Barbara Jordan statue was unveiled at the University of Texas at Austin, where Jordan taught at the time of her death. The Barbara Jordan statue campaign was paid for by a student fee increase approved by the University of Texas Board of Regents. The effort was originally spearheaded by the 2002-2003 Tappee class of the Texas Orange Jackets, the "oldest women's organization at the University" (of Texas at Austin).
Many of Jordan's speeches have been collected in a 2007 publication from the University of Texas Press, Barbara Jordan: Speaking the Truth with Eloquent Thunder."
In her namesake, the Jordan/Rustin Coalition (JRC) was created in California in 2000. This organization seeks to mobilize gay and lesbian African American to aid in the passage of marriage equality in the state of California. Along with Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin was an American leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, pacifism and non-violence, and gay rights.In the pacifist Fellowship of Reconciliation , Rustin practiced nonviolence...
, a civilrights leader and close confidante of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
, Barbara Jordan is remembered for her advocacy of progressive politics. "The mission of the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition (Jordan Rustin Coalition or JRC) is to empower Black same-gender loving, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and families in Greater Los Angeles, to promote equal marriage rights and to advocate for fair treatment of everyone without regard to race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression." http://jrcla.org/
Tributes
In 2011, actor/playwright Jade Esteban EstradaJade Esteban Estrada
Jade Esteban Estrada is a successful Latin pop singer, comedian, choreographer, actor, political commentator, and human rights activist...
portrayed Jordan in the solo musical comedy "ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Vol. 5" which includes the song "Nancy's Eyes" sung by the character of Jordan with music and lyrics by Estrada
Jade Esteban Estrada
Jade Esteban Estrada is a successful Latin pop singer, comedian, choreographer, actor, political commentator, and human rights activist...
.
See also
- U.S. Constitution, defender of the Constitution
External links
- Jordan's Statement on the Articles of Impeachment During the Nixon Impeachment Hearings in Text and Audio from AmericanRhetoric.com
- Jordan's 1976 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address in Text and Audio from AmericanRhetoric.com
- Jordan's 1992 Democratic National Convention Address in Text and Audio from AmericanRhetoric.com
- Barbara Jordan, Governor of Texas for a day, program of ceremonies, June 10, 1972, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
- Interview with Max Sherman, editor of Barbara Jordan — Speaking the Truth with Eloquent Thunder on kaisernetwork.org
- Oral History Interviews with Barbara Jordan, from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library