What did barbara jordan fight for

1. Biography of Barbara Jordan
2. Early Life and Education
3. Political Career
4. Personal Life and Legacy

Biography of Barbara Jordan

Barbara Jordan was an American politician and leader of the civil rights movement. She was the first African-American woman elected to the Texas State Senate after Reconstruction and the first African-American woman from the South elected to the United States House of Representatives. Jordan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among many other awards. Following her death, she became the first African-American woman buried at the Texas State Cemetery.

Early Life and Education

Barbara Jordan was born on February 21, 1936, in Houston, Texas. She was raised in a family where her father, Benjamin Jordan, was a Baptist minister, and her mother, Arlyne Jordan, worked as a maid. Barbara attended Roberson Elementary School and graduated with honors from Phillis Wheatley High School in 1952. Due to segregation, she was unable to attend the University of Texas at Austin and instead chose to study political science and history at Texas Southern University, which was historically black. Barbara excelled in debate and became a national champion, defeating competitors from prestigious institutions such as Yale, Brown, and Harvard University. She completed her undergraduate studies with distinction in 1956 and joined the women's sorority "Delta Sigma Theta." In 1959, Jordan graduated from the Boston University School of Law and spent a year studying political science at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

Political Career

In 1960, Barbara returned to Houston, passed the bar exam, and opened her own law practice. She ran unsuccessfully for the Texas House of Representatives in 1962 and 1964 but persisted and became the first African-American senator since 1883 and the first black woman senator in 1966. She was re-elected in 1968 and served until 1972. In 1972, Jordan made history again by becoming the first African-American congresswoman from Texas. She received significant support from former President Lyndon B. Johnson, who helped her secure a position on the House Judiciary Committee. In 1974, Jordan delivered a powerful televised speech before the committee, supporting the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. After leaving politics in 1979, she began teaching at the University of Texas at Austin. Jordan served as the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 1976 and 1992. From 1994 to 1996, she chaired the United States Commission on Immigration Reform, advocating for stricter immigration policies.

Personal Life and Legacy

Barbara Jordan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1973. Over time, she experienced difficulty climbing stairs and eventually relied on a cane and wheelchair. She also battled leukemia but concealed her health problems so well that President Bill Clinton considered nominating her for the Supreme Court. For 30 years, Jordan's partner was educator and psychologist Nancy Earl, whom she met in the late 1960s. While Jordan never publicly acknowledged her non-traditional sexual orientation, her obituary in the Houston Chronicle mentioned her long-term relationship with Earl. However, her biographer, Mary Beth Rogers, author of "Barbara Jordan: American Hero," did not confirm that the senator and congresswoman was a lesbian. Despite early campaign advisors urging her to be more discreet and not choose female partners during elections, Barbara Jordan remained a trailblazer in politics until her death on January 17, 1996, at the age of 59 in Austin, Texas.