South Side in Houston in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Barbara Charline Jordan

(February 21, 1936 - January 17, 1996)

Photographed By James Hulse, November 10, 2023

1. Barbara Charline Jordan Marker

Inscription. Barbara Charline Jordan, one of the nation's preeminent African-Americans orators and politicians of the 20th century, was born in Houston to Benjamin Meredith and Arlyne Patten Jordan. Her close-knit family greatly influenced her religious and moral attitudes, as well as the academic ambitions that would propel her to success. She excelled in oratory competitions at Wheatley High School and Texas Southern University. In 1956, Jordan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas Southern with a degree in government studies. She enrolled at Boston University Law School and was one of two females, both black, to graduate in 1959.

Her political career began in 1966, when she became the first African-American woman to win a seat in the Texas Senate. Jordan's intelligence and oratory skills helped her navigate "Good Ole Boy" politics to earn the respect of her peers. On March 28, 1972, she became the first black woman to be elected President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate. The same year, she won a seat in the United States Congress. Jordan gained national fame when she served on the House Judiciary Committee to investigate President Richard Nixon's participation in the 1972 Watergate Scandal.

In 1979, Jordan, then suffering from health problems, moved to Austin, where she accepted a professorship at the University of Texas. Although

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she was retired from public office, she continued to serve as a political advisor and national figure until her death. Barbara Jordan once said "I never wanted to be run-of-the-mill," and in avoiding that characterization, she broke down racial and gender barriers in state and national politics.

Erected 2012 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17289.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is March 28, 1972.

Location. 29° 43.315′ N, 95° 21.445′ W. Marker is in Houston, Texas, in Harris County. It is in the South Side. Marker can be reached from Cleburne Street, 0.1 miles south of Tierwester Street, on the left when traveling south. The marker is located on the campus of the Texas Southern University, near the west entrance to the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs Building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3100 Cleburne Street, Houston TX 77004, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. George Thomas "Mickey" Leland III (a few steps from this marker); The Murals of Hannah Hall (approx. ¼ mile away); John Thomas Biggers (approx. 0.4 miles away); Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ

The Barbara Charline Jordan Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, November 10, 2023

2. The Barbara Charline Jordan Marker

The marker is located in front of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs Building.

(approx. half a mile away); Trinity United Methodist Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); Jordan Grove Missionary Baptist Church (approx. 0.9 miles away); Sam (Lightnin’) Hopkins (approx. 0.9 miles away); Blue Triangle Branch, Y.W.C.A. Building (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Houston.

Also see . . . Jordan, Barbara Charline (1936–1996). Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

With the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that resulted in the redistricting of congressional and legislative voting districts in Texas, and the increased registration of Black voters, Jordan was able to win election as a Democrat to the Texas Senate in 1966. She was the first Black state senator since Walter Moses Burton left office in 1883. She was the first Black state legislator elected to office since Robert Lloyd Smith was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1896. Eschewing a confrontational approach, Jordan quickly developed a reputation as a master of detail and as an effective pragmatist and gained the respect of her thirty White male colleagues. While in the legislature she worked for minimum-wage
Photographed By James Hulse, November 10, 2023

3. The Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs Building
laws and voter registration and chaired the Labor and Management Relations Committee. In 1969 when the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution had been passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification, Jordan in the Texas Senate and Frances “Sissy” Farenthold in the Texas House cosponsored its successful ratification by the state legislature. They took it one step further, however. They proposed an amendment to the Texas Constitution guaranteeing equal rights for women, which Texas voters quickly approved. In 1972 both liberal and conservative state senators unanimously elected her president pro tempore of the Senate. Former President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who was impressed with Jordan’s leadership, took an interest in her career and opened doors for her with key donors and political leaders that facilitated her rise to higher office.

(Submitted on November 12, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The entrance to the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, November 10, 2023

4. The entrance to the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs Building

The Barbara Jordan marker is the right marker of the two marker.

Barbara Jordan, member of the United States House of Representatives. image. Click for full size.

Public Domain - U.S. Congress - Adam Cuerden, circa 1970s

5. Barbara Jordan, member of the United States House of Representatives.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 56 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 12, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.