Barbara Jordan

Barbara Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was an American lawyer, educator and politician.^[1] She was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement. She was a Democrat.

Jordan was the first African-American female elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction. She was also the first Southern African-American female elected to the United States House of Representatives.^[2] She was best known for her opening statement at the House Judiciary Committee hearing during the impeachment process against Richard Nixon.^[3]

Jordan taught political science at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama for a year. She later returned to Houston. She started a private law practice.

Jordan got a Presidential Medal of Freedom, with many other honors. She was a member of the Peabody Awards' Board of Jurors from 1978 to 1980.^[4] She was the first African American female who was buried at the Texas State Cemetery.^[5]

Jordan worked as the chair of the United States Commission Reform. The Chair recommended reducing legal immigration by one-third. This work is often cited by American restriction members.^[6]

Jordan was born in Houston, Texas. She died due to complications of pneumonia at age 59 in Austin.

Recognition

• 1984: Inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame
• 1990: Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame
• 1992: The Spingarn Medal from the NAACP ^[7]
• 1993: The Elizabeth Blackwell Award from Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• 1994: The Presidential Medal of Freedom
• 1995: The second ever female awardee of the United States Military Academy's Sylvanus Thayer Award ^[8]