Although she is no longer living today, Barbara Jordan is a name we should remember. She was a lawyer and a politician. As someone born in 1936, she lived during a time where one could not freely disclose who they were if outside of societal norms. Being a Black person in America during this time, growing up included increased discrimination. As a Black woman she had to fight even more, because the rights of a female were less than a man’s for any racial group. Now, Jordan never fully disclosed her sexuality, but she did have a female partner for over 20 years before her death in 1996. In honor of Pride Month, I want to celebrate her great contribution to the world.
Let’s look at her life. During my time in school, I learned about this woman, but today, I don’t hear her mentioned much. Barbara Jordan graduated from law school in 1959. After working as a volunteer on the campaign for President John F. Kennedy, she got the bug to join politics. In 1966, she was voted in as a Texas Senator, the first Black person in the state since 1883 and the first Black woman. During her time in this position, she became the president pro tempore, making her the first Black Women in America, to preside over a large government body. Jordan eventually went on to become a member of the House of Representatives in 1972, becoming the first Black person in the 20th century to represent a U.S. southern state.
Here’s some of the great things she did in her career…
- She spoke at two Democratic National Conventions, one in 1975 and the other in 1992.
- She delivered opening remarks in the Impeachment committee for President Nixon.
- She helped expand the wording in the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- She helped expand the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to include Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans.
- She sponsored bills to have Social Security benefits include homemakers and give a tax credit to those who were self employed or had low-income.
Now with all of this let’s continue to speak on the pioneers in history who represent the LGBTQ+ community. Ms. Jordan was one who couldn’t disclose this information during her years of life. But in this month of June, let’s stand up and support a woman who couldn’t promote her pride.