“We the People” are the first three words of the U.S. Constitution. Barbara Jordan said that 1787 text left her — a Black woman — out of that “we.” But in time, U.S. laws changed so that people like Jordan were included. Jordan even went on to join the U.S. Congress. And with her power, she made sure others weren’t left out.
Jordan was born in Houston, Texas, in 1936. She became a lawyer and then got into government. In 1966, Jordan became the first Black woman elected to the Texas Senate. She supported civil rights and workers’ rights. For example, she worked to set a . That helped farm workers be paid fairly.
When Barbara Jordan spoke, even presidents paid attention. Jordan met President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1967, she went to the White House to talk about his Fair Housing Act. That act aimed to stop in the housing market. Jordan became a friend of the 36th president. Johnson supported Jordan’s career, which was only going up!
In 1972, Jordan won a seat in the U.S. Congress. She was the first Black woman from the South to do that since 1898. Texas voters re-elected her in 1974.
In that same year, Jordan made a famous 15-minute-long speech. It was about President Richard Nixon. Nixon was involved in a scandal. Congress had to decide whether to the 37th president. In her speech, Jordan said why they should. Not long after, Nixon left office. He is the only U.S. president to do that.
While in Congress, Jordan worked on renewing the Voting Rights Act. That 1965 law protected the voting rights of all Americans, no matter their race. In 1975, Jordan pushed to keep the act for another 10 years. And she made sure voters who didn’t speak English wouldn’t be left out. The fresh act said some places must offer voting papers in other languages. America’s 38th president, Gerald Ford, signed this law.
Jordan won a third term in Congress in 1976. But she didn’t run for a fourth. She returned to Texas and taught at the University of Texas. She also worked on laws with President Bill Clinton.
Jordan died in 1996. And the 42nd president spoke at her funeral. “Through the poetry of her words and the power of her voice, Barbara stirred our national ,” said Clinton. “When Barbara Jordan talked, we listened.”
By Diana Richard
Updated January 31, 2025, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
