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VOICE ONE:
I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Sarah Long with People in America in VOA Special English.Today, we tell about a woman who worked to make a difference inpeople’s lives, Barbara Jordan.
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VOICE ONE:
Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, educator and member of Congress. Shewas well-known for her powerful, thoughtful speeches. During herlong political career, Barbara Jordan worked for social change. Shesought to use her political influence to make a difference for allAmericans.
Barbara Jordan became the first African-American woman to beelected to the United States Congress to represent Texas. InNineteen-Seventy-Four, she gained national recognition as a memberof the congressional committee investigating President RichardNixon.
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VOICE TWO:
Barbara Charline Jordan was born in the southern city of Houston,Texas in Nineteen-Thirty-Six. She was the youngest of threedaughters. Her father was a Baptist minister. He taught her a loveof family, faith, music and language. As a child, Barbara’s parentspushed her to succeed.
Barbara Jordan said her parents would criticize her for notspeaking correct English. They urged her to become a music teacher,because they said that was the only good job for a black woman atthat time. Her sisters did become music teachers. Barbara Jordan,however, explained later that she wanted to be something unusual. Atfirst she thought about being a pharmacist, a scientist who is anexpert in medicines. But, she noted, she never heard of an importantpharmacist.
VOICE ONE:
In high school, Barbara heard a black woman lawyer speak. MizzJordan decided to become a lawyer. She attended the all-blackcollege, Texas Southern University in Houston. She led achampionship debating team and became known for her speaking skills.She finished at the top of her class. Then she went onto BostonUniversity law school in Boston, Massachusetts.
After she finished law school, Mizz Jordan returned to Texas. Shebegan to work as a lawyer. She also discovered she was interested inpolitics. Her interest began when she helped in a presidentialcampaign. She worked to help get Democratic presidential nomineeJohn F. Kennedy elected in Nineteen-Sixty.
VOICE TWO:
Soon, Mizz Jordan decided to become a politician herself. Shefirst campaigned for public office in Nineteen-Sixty-Two. She wantedto become a member of the Texas House of Representatives. She lostthat election, and another election two years later.
In Nineteen-Sixty-Six, she decided to seek a seat in the TexasSenate. She won. Barbara Jordan became the first black person toserve in the Texas Senate since Eighteen-Eighty-Three.
During her years as a Texas lawmaker, Mizz Jordan proposed andhelped pass legislation dealing with social change. She helpedreform public assistance programs and protect workers’ wages. Shealso opposed legislation that would have made it harder for blacksand Latin Americans to vote.
VOICE ONE:
After eight years in the Texas Senate, Mizz Jordan campaigned fora seat in the United States House of Representatives. She woneasily. She was the first woman and first black to be elected toCongress to represent Texas.
In Congress, Mizz Jordan spoke forthe poor, for women, for African-Americans and Latin Americans. Shebelieved strongly, however, in being loyal to her state and herpolitical party. She considered the interests of the people of Texasbefore those of any other group.
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VOICE TWO:
In Nineteen-Seventy-Four, Congresswoman Jordan was a member ofthe House Judiciary committee. The committee was investigatingevidence of wrongdoing by then President Richard Nixon. TheCongressional hearings into the situation known as Watergate werebroadcast on national television.
During the Watergate hearings, Mizz Jordan declared her strongbelief in the United States Constitution. She denounced PresidentNixon for violating it. She is remembered still for her commandingpresentation at the hearing and deep knowledge of constitutionalissues. The Watergate hearings that led to President Nixon’sresignation made Barbara Jordan known around the nation.
VOICE ONE:
Following the Watergate hearings, Barbara Jordan went on to otherfirsts. In Nineteen-Seventy-Six, she was asked to speak at theDemocratic National Convention which nominated Jimmy Carter. MizzJordan was the first black woman to give an opening speech at theDemocratic Convention. She said members of the Democratic partybelieve that the people are the basis of all governmental power.Democrats believe, she continued, that the power of the people is tobe extended, not restricted. In her speech, Mizz Jordan also urgedAmericans to work for the common good:
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“Many fear the future. Many are distrustful of their leaders andbelieve that their voices are never heard. Many seek only to satisfytheir private wants, to satisfy their private interests. But this isthe great danger America faces — that we will cease to be onenation and become instead a collection of interest groups, eachseeking to satisfy private wants. If that happens, who then willspeak for America? Who then will speak for the common good?”
VOICE TWO:
The fact she was black and a womandid not seem to slow Barbara Jordan’s rise. Her future seemedlimitless. Then, in Nineteen-Seventy-Seven, Mizz Jordan suddenlyannounced she was retiring from Congress and returning to Texas. Shelater said she felt she was not making enough difference.
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“If I felt that I could have been increasingly effective in thatjob, I suppose I would have continued to do it. But politics is(takes) a long, long time to make any significant, long-lastingdifference.”
VOICE ONE:
After returning to Texas, Barbara Jordan began teaching aboutpolitical values at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairsat the University of Texas in Austin. Her two classes were sopopular, students had to be chosen from a long list.
At the time that Mizz Jordan left Congress, there were widespreadreports that failing health was the cause for her decision. Later,it was announced that she had the disease called multiple sclerosisthat affects the muscles. She had to move about in a wheelchair.But, she said, the disease did not lessen her thinking or thequality of her mind. Nor did it affect her ability to speak.
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VOICE TWO:
In the years after she retired from Congress, Mizz Jordan madetwo more appearances at Democratic National Conventions. Sheannounced her support for the vice-presidential nomination of LloydBentsen at the Nineteen-Eighty-Eight convention in Atlanta. Shespoke from a wheelchair. Her powerful voice was heard once again atthe Nineteen-Ninety-Two Democratic convention, which nominated BillClinton for president. In her speech, she called for national unity:
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“We are one, we Americans, we’re one, and we reject any intruderwho seeks to divide us on the basis of race and color. We honorcultural identity–we always have, we always will. But, separatismis not allowed (applause)–separatism is not the American way. Wemust not allow ideas like political correctness to divide us andcause us to reverse hard-won achievements in human rights and civilrights.” VOICE ONE:
Barbara Jordan considered herself a teacher first, above allelse. By her example, she taught all Americans about the importanceof one’s beliefs and the power of truth. She developed pneumoniacaused by the blood cancer, leukemia, and died January Eighteenth,Nineteen-Ninety-Six. She was fifty-nine.
VOICE TWO:
Barbara Jordan was buried wearing the Presidential Medal ofFreedom. It is the highest non-military honor given to Americans.President Clinton presented it to her in Nineteen-Ninety-Four. Atthe funeral ceremony, former Texas Governor Ann Richards said:”There was simply something about her that made you proud to be partof the country that produced her.”
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VOICE ONE:
This Special English program was written by Cynthia Kirk andproduced by Lawan Davis. I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Sarah Long. Join us again next week for another People inAmerica program in VOA Special English.
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