B  arbara Jordan (1936-1996) transcended the stereotypes of race and gender during a particularly difficult time in our nation’s history to become a powerful and compassionate educator, lawyer, and politician. By age thirty, Jordan was the first Black elected to the Texas Senate (1967-1973) since Reconstruction and subsequently the first Southern Black woman elected to the United States House of Representatives (1973-1979).

Her distinctive voice calmed audiences and drew attention to her brilliant mind. In both 1976 and 1992, Jordan gave fiery keynote addresses at the Democratic National Convention—the first of these earned her a vote as a presidential nominee despite the fact she wasn’t running for the position. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Jordan delivered the opening remarks of Nixon’s impeachment hearing. That distinction among numerous other honors earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994.

Jordan’s 1976 keynote speech is ranked as one the most memorable American speeches. Expertly paced and eloquently delivered, her words continue to be veracious today:

“Throughout our history, when people have looked for new ways to solve their problems and to uphold the principles of this nation, many times they have turned to political parties. ... [The Democratic Party believes] in equality for all and privileges for none. ... [We believe] that the gap between the promise and reality of America can one day be finally closed.

“[But] many fear the future. Many are distrustful of their leaders, and believe that their voices are never heard. Many seek only to satisfy their private work—wants; to satisfy their private interests. But this is the great danger America faces—that we will cease to be one nation and become instead a collection of interest groups: city against suburb, region against region, individual against individual; each seeking to satisfy private wants. ... Are we to be one people bound together by common spirit, sharing in a common endeavor; or will we become a divided nation? ... We must address and master the future together. It can be done if we restore the belief that we share a sense of national community, that we share a common national endeavor.

“Let us restore the social intercourse. ... A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good. A government is invigorated when each one of us is willing to participate in shaping the future of this nation. ... We cannot improve on the system of government handed down to us by the founders of the Republic. ... But what we can do is to find new ways to implement that system and realize our destiny.”