Barbara Jordan was an African-American politician, lawyer, and civil rights activists who worked in many professions and served in several different capacities throughout her life. A lifelong member of the Democrat Party, Jordan was the first southern black woman to be elected to the United States House of Representatives when she was elected to serve as the representative from Texas' 18th congressional district in 1972. She later served in the administrative of President William Clinton, chairing the United States Commission on Immigration Reform. Jordan was born Barbara Charline Jordon on February 21, 1936 to Benjamin and Arlene Jordan. Her early life revolved heavily around church life as her father was a Baptist preacher and her mother taught in her father's church. The Jordans raised Barbara to value education, which helped her graduate at the top of her high school class in 1952. She earned a BA in political science with honors from Texas Southern University in 1956 and then went on to obtain a law degree from Boston University in 1959.
After graduating from law school, Jordan taught law and opened a private practice in Houston, Texas.
From an early point in her career, Jordan was an advocate of progressive causes and working within the system to affect changes.
Jordan believed in the legal philosophy that the United States Constitution is a "living" document and therefore changes with the times.
Jordan won a seat in the Texas Senate in 1966, becoming the black since Reconstruction and the first black woman ever to hold a seat in that chamber.
While in the Texas Senate, Jordan served as the acting governor of Texas for one day.
Jordan was the first woman from Texas to be elected to the United States Congress in 1972.
She served three terms in the House of Representative before retiring.
While Jordan was serving her first term in Congress, on July 25, 1974, she presented a fifteen minute opening speech to the impeachment proceedings of President Richard Nixon.
Jordan sponsored more than 300 bills while in the House, the most important of which was the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. The Act required banks to offer loans to more minorities.
Although Jordan never publicly discussed her sexuality, her roommate and partner of thirty years was a woman named Nancy Earle. Since her death, Jordan has been declared a lesbian icon by many in the gay rights movement.
After retiring from politics, Jordan moved back to her native Texas and taught law.
Although Jordan believed that legal immigration was good for the United States in general, in the Immigration Commission report, she advocated for a reduction of legal immigration by one-third.
Jordan was an outspoken in her stance against illegal immigration, arguing that the average black American worker was most hurt by it.
She was plagued by a number of health problems later in her life, including leukemia and respiratory problems.
Jordan was awarded more than twenty honorary degrees throughout her life.
Jordan died on January 17, 1996 in Austin, Texas due to complications from pneumonia.
Many schools have been posthumously named for Jordan.