Talk:Barbara Jordan

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Untitled

Jordan was born in Houston, Texas. She graduated magna cum laude from Texas Southern University in 1956 and from Boston University Law School in 1959. She passed the Bar Exams in Massachusetts and Texas before returning to Houston to open a law practice.

Active in the Kennedy-Johnson presidential campaign of 1960, Jordan wanted to be a part of the change. She unsuccessfully ran for the Texas House of Representatives in 1962 and 1964. Her persistence won her a seat in the Texas Senate in 1966, becoming the first African American state senator since 1883 and the first black woman to serve in that body. Reelected to a full term in the Texas Senate in 1968, she served until 1972, when she made a successful bid to represent Texas's Eighteenth Congressional District in the U.S. House, becoming the first black woman from a Southern state to serve in the House. She was reelected in 1974 and 1976. She received extensive support from President Lyndon Johnson, who helped her secure a position on the House Judiciary Committee.

In 1973, Jordan began to suffer from multiple sclerosis which eventually confined her to a wheelchair. In 1974, she made a well-known speech before the House Judiciary Committee supporting the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. She gave a speech at the 1976 Democratic National Convention that is considered by many historians to have been the best convention keynote speech in modern history. Because of her illness, Jordan retired from politics in 1979 and became a professor at the University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She again was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 1992.

Jordan kept her health and her lesbianism out of the press. Nancy Earl, her life partner for over twenty years, was her caregiver during her final illness and executor of her estate.

Jordan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. It was only one of many honors given her, including election into both the Texas and National Women's Hall of Fame. In 1995, Jordan chaired a congressional commission that advocated increased restriction of immigration and increased penalties on employers that violated US immigration regulations. She was buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. She was the first black woman interred there-— Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.81.28.232 (talk) 16:33, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

Prdecessors

Scott Tillinghast Houston TX --208.100.206.195 19:33, 27 June 2006 (UTC)She really did not have predecessors for state Senate or U. S. House, because both the districts were new. Bill Moore was a state sentor from College Station. Robert Price was a Congressman from the Texas Panhandle. From Texas Almanac, appropriate editions.

Since the districts, did indeed exist, even if in other parts of the state, the practice is to list the previous incumbent as her predecessor. This is especially so in regard to Congress, since there is no local residency requirement for running for Congress.Argos'Dad 15:27, 29 July 2007 (UTC)

Judiciary Committee speech

The article says that Jordan's speech in support of impeachment came after she was re-elected in 1974. But that election took place three months after Nixon resigned. It seems likely therefore that the speech took place before her re-election. I don't know. Could someone check into it? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Lkunz (talk • contribs) 9 November 2006.

It's not wrong, just badly worded. It means after reelection in 1972 she made a speech in 1974. It's trying to squeeze an event into a phrase in another sentence, and it created mush. I'll fix it some way. -- Randall Bart 20:46, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

Oh wait. You're right, that's wrong.-- Randall Bart 21:06, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

Sexual orientation

She's listed under the category of Lesbian politicians, yet there is no mention of her sexual orientation in her biography. If she is indeed a lesbian, it should be noted in her biography, with footnoted reference(s) documenting this. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 198.86.240.239 (talk) 02:00, 10 February 2007 (UTC).

We should get it into the article; I'll find a citation. - Jmabel | Talk 19:07, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

[[Image:^{CHRIS BVROWN IN THE HOUSE. 106 A PARK BET}]]

The issue of Barbara Jordan being a Lesbian has never been proved beyond speculation, such as the article cited in this article. Jordan's supposed "lover" denied it repeatedly after her death. It has never even been mentioned in academic articles or biographies. It's just speculation. I think it should be removed. Mvblair 03:50, 3 September 2007 (UTC) (UTC)

Now I just read the reference for the lesbian part. Even the referenced link says that her sexual orientation is just a rumor! After seeing this and not vieweing any objections to me comments of September 3rd, I'm removing this paragraph. Jordan never made any comments about sexual orientation during her career. An encyclopedia is no place for rumor and conjecture. Mvblair 12:41, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

There are other sources as well, including those that discuss why she didn't reveal her orientation during her life. I've reinstated the material and added another source. ·:· Will Beback ·:· 17:06, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

The Houston Chronicle obit said: "In Austin, she lived with her longtime companion, Nancy Earl." (Jan 18, 1996) A subsquent article in Jet shows that Jordan willed her half interest in the house to Earl. A 1997 biography says:

• Neither of them realized at the time that their meeting would escalate into a relationship that would last almost twenty years," writes Teutsch in his reverent if perhaps overly imaginative biography of celebrated African-American politician Jordan, who died in 1996, and her life partner. "As George Gershwin wrote in one of his immortal songs, `It's very clear, our love is here to stay.' Which is how it became with Barbara and Nancy Earl." (Barbara Jordan: The Biography (Austin Teutsch, Golden Touch Press, 1997)

So I think there's sufficient evidence of her relationship with another woman. ·:· Will Beback ·:· 17:19, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes, there is sufficient evidence of her relationship with another woman. Thanks for adding that extra source, Will. It seems credible because the author is affiliated with a university, but I still think some better sources are needed. The problem is that all the sources that are cited are speculative themselves. None of them give quotes from Earl or Jordan. They simply say "they lived together for a long time and didn't talk about their private life, so they were lesbians." I just don't think there is evidence that she was a lesbian. Source 4 is also undefined about the issue, which reviews "American Hero" and "Biography." The author of "American Hero" says that Jordan's only relationship was "with herself and God." Unless someone finds a quote by Jordan or Earl, it is just conjecture that Jordan was a lesbian, no matter what it looked like. Will, would you object if I added that to the paragraph? Perhaps something along the lines of...It is speculated that Jordan was a lesbian with a longtime companion of more than 20 years, Nancy Earl. Jordan never spoke publically about her private, but several sources mention her relationship with Earl.[3][4] After Jordan's initial unsuccessful statewide races, advisers warned her to become more discreet and not bring any female companions on the campaign trail.[1][5]" Also, could someone provide me with a copy of that article in "The Advocate?" It seems like we should also modify that language. Mvblair 18:30, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Here are some additional sources, including some more reviews of Roger's bio. I don't have immediate access to the full text of the Advocate piece (the full text archive for it starts the following year) but here's the abstract and some commentary about it:

• "Barbara Jordan: The other life". Moss, J Jennings. The Advocate. Los Angeles: Mar 5, 1996. , Iss. 702; pg. 38
• Abstract (Summary) Congresswoman Barbara Jordan did not address the fact that she was a lesbian during her life. Friends of Jordan claim that she did not want to be pigeonholed and did not have much interest in being a symbol.
• Image of the cover featuring Jordan: [1]

• "The Advocate Polls: How readers felt about ..." The Advocate. Los Angeles: Jan 21, 1997. , Iss. 724/725; pg. 18
• Advocate readers took a mostly conservative stand on the issues surrounding the closet, one sympathetic to the sense of privacy and the fear of consequences that still keep many gay men and lesbians from revealing their sexual orientation publicly. Following our story on the revered late congresswoman Barbara Jordan, most readers said they understood why she chose not to come out.

• "Closet ain't nothin' but a dark and private place for ...?" Clayton, Joana. Art Journal. New York: Winter 1996. Vol. 55, Iss. 4; pg. 51, 4 pgs
• The privileged definition of closet does not consider that many African American women heal ourselves in our closets. In our closets, we create different realities, collect tools and strategies for healing the deep and painful wounds of our multiple oppressions, discover a voice and language that is our life, and unearth and affirm our authentic selves. The story I tell here of Bentley should resonate for anyone picking up a copy of the March 5, 1995, Advocate with its cover story bashing Barbara Jordan. ...Jordan, it seems, cannot meet the Advocate's privileged standards of gay purity. The arrogance of largely white and largely male organizations in taking upon themselves the task of determining the boundaries of the closet-who should be in and out, who should be respected and who should not-is widely displayed here. The issue is Barbara Jordan's so-called other life as a lesbian. The tone is one of absolute disrespect for Jordan as she is berated for not coming out as a national standardbearer for gay rights. The Advocate, using advanced strategies of its own carefully closeted (disguised) racism, obtains a quote from an Austin gay journalist of color, Juan Paloma, who states (she reads from the Advocate), "If anybody had the luxury to say, `By Golly, I'm a lesbian and this is the woman I love,' it was Barbara Jordan. She could have done it, and her stature would not have been diminished one bit." Here the white-run Advocate uses a man of color to denounce Jordan. I wonder, by golly, if his opinion would have been so eagerly sought on other issues. Paloma, like the Advocate, is only concerned with how others perceive Jordan and neither trusts nor respects her own sense of what she needed to survive and thrive. And who is Paloma or the Advocate to assure any African American woman about the stability of her stature in this misogynist, racist world: tell that to Lani Guiner, Anita Hill, and Jocelyn Elders! The Advocate deceptively describes Jordan as a "closeted lesbian who chose not to come out during her lifetime." But of course, Jordan was out to her network-to her family, to a warm and wonderful group of friends, political allies, and most anybody who came in contact with her. She thrived in the sanctity of this sanctuary/closet she had created. It was because she had this privacy, this sanctuary, that she was able to become a national leader and woman of such estimable accomplishment. Jordan herself said that she had no interest in being a symbol. She knew that symbolization is itself a form of objectification, where one can be commodified, controled, manipulated, and scapegoated. The Advocate bashes Jordan in this piece, rebuking her for not exposing herself to their standards of pornographic scrutiny/voyeurism. It then attempts to turn her into a symbol . . . of its contempt! Unbelievably, the end of the article includes a sidebar asking readers to take part in a survey asking if, for one, they (she reads from the Advocate) "respect her less now." It is the Advocate that deserves our disrespect. (She discards the Advocate.) In conclusion, when I say closet, I mean a sanctuary and place of refuge. I tell this story to point to the continuing racist oppression that threatens the creative realizations of African American lesbians. Closets are dark and private places. Respect their sanctity.

• "Barbara Jordan: 'The First African-American Woman everything'" Westside Gazette. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.: Mar 24, 2004. pg. 2D
• A Very Significant Other
• Barbara Jordan lived with Nancy Earl in their home in Texas. The two met on a camping trip in the 1960s and lived together for two decades. In 1976, they built a house in Austin. There is no record of Jordan ever being asked about her sexual orientation, but early in her career she was warned by campaign managers to avoid being photographed with her female companion. This was before she met Earl...It was Earl who saved her life, resuscitating her and calling for help. Earl continued tending to Jordan's daily needs through her battles with MS and leukemia for the remainder of her life. Nancy Earl - long time companion, co-owner of their home, executor of her estate, primary care giver, and life-saver - is often omitted from or trivialized in biographies of Barbara Jordan.

• "Belle Moskowitz: Feminine Politics and the Exercise of Power in the Age of Alfred E. Smith / No Place for a Woman: A Life of Senator Margaret Chase Smith / Barbara Jordan: American Hero" Kim Nielsen. NWSA Journal. Bloomington: Fall 2001. Vol. 13, Iss. 3; pg. 203, 5 pgs
• In Rogers's biography, Jordan's private life is more elusive, made so by the efforts of Jordan's and Rogers's accommodation. Jordan shared a home for several decades with Nancy Earl, a white woman who worked at the University of Texas. Rogers refuses to speculate on the nature of this relationship, a weakness of the book, but makes it clear that Jordan had a small but intense circle of friends who supported her throughout her life.

• "Barbara Jordan // Texas Democrat truly earned the praise", Holly E. Stepp. The Patriot - News. Harrisburg, Pa.: Feb 15, 1999. pg. D.03
• Rogers goes into detail about Jordan's battle with multiple sclerosis, which she kept hidden from the public, but there's precious little about her adult private life. Jordan, who never married but had a longtime relationship with friend Nancy Earl, was appalled by the post-Watergate media coverage of politicians' private lives and refused to comment on her own. Rogers' failure to mention the relationship in more than passing is an unfortunate but perhaps fitting tribute to the public life for which Jordan is most remembered.

• "Ex-colleague recounts Barbara Jordan's life" ELIZABETH BENNETT. Houston Chronicle. Houston, Tex.: Dec 20, 1998. pg. 18
• What Rogers doesn't clarify is Jordan's relationship with Earl, her longtime Austin friend and housemate - and a white woman. In light of ongoing speculation about Jordan's sexuality while she was alive - she never married and never was known to date - Rogers' failure to address such a longtime relationship is a glaring omission in an otherwise impressive biography.

There are also numerous recent sources which list the subject as a lesbian, taking the assertion as a given. In my searches I haven't seen a single reference which disputes the relationship between Earl and Jordan, or that asserts it was platonic. I think that the fact has been well-established. For us to leave out all reference to her relationship to Earl would be a "glaring omission". ·:· Will Beback ·:· 19:28, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for taking the time to post those sources. I appreciate it. It's good to see someone else interested in Jordan's career. I agree that her relationship with Earl should be mentioned (although like Rogers, I'm always iffy about getting into private lives). I just don't know what that relationship was...I lived for 25 years with my Dad, but that didn't make us lovers.

Here's the thing that doesn't sit well with me: all of these sources (with the exception of Rogers' book -- a good read) basically say "Jordan was a lesbian, but she never talked about it." They all cite the same two arguments: 1) Jordan lived with Earl, and 2) Jordan was reportedly told not to travel with women on the campaign trail. To me, that doesn't make someone a lesbian. And we don't know the original source for the campaign trail thing.

As for sources that disagree with, well one source that you quoted, Rogers, does say that talk about her homosexuality is only speculation. So I think that should be included. The Rogers biography is the one generally read in African American studies.

The fact that we know is Jordan had a some type of relationship with Earl. Beyond that, there is no proof, only speculation. --Matt Mvblair 21:43, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

I think we can safely assume it was a lesbian relationship. She obviously preferred spending her life with Earl rather than a man. Another source to use is:

Jordan had never publicly acknowledged her lesbianism, but friends described her as "straightforward about [it] in private." - Jordan, Barbara (2004) glbtq.com

While glbtq.com doesn't say where that quote comes from, it cites it's sources for that article. There's something there for sure - they're very good about not using "speculation" without saying that's what it is. BTW, I'm putting the LGBT banner back. -- SatyrTN (talk | contribs) 05:55, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for replying, Satyr. I don't think I'm making my point very well.

Now, I'm not saying that anybody here is like Fox News or Rush Limbaugh, but here is what Rush and Sean Hannity do: "even Clinton's friends say he excepted money from an overseas company and knew that company was involved in drug deals." Then Frank Barnes goes and writes "Clinton accepted money from a company known for dealing drugs, according to Clinton's own associates" and then it becomes a "legitimate" fact accepted in the media and so forth.

All of these sources are second and third hand. What friends said that Jordan was gay? What advisers told her not to bring female friends on the campaign trail (which is just an implication)?

Here is a good compromise, I think. Let's change the language in the paragraph to note that only second-hand sources and the fact that she lived with Earl suggest that she is a lesbian. Rogers even says that there is not enough evidence of her private life to say she was a lesbian.

Something like that? Mvblair 01:39, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

Bravo, Will Beback and Myblair. Excellent job on proving her sexual orientation. And no, I'm not being facetious . Aruhnka (talk) 12:47, 21 November 2008 (UTC)

Not seeing any discussion here for nearly two years, I changed the language just a little. I didn't delete anything, but I added a phrase about most sources being "second-hand" and included a reference from Mary Beth Rogers' book which found no conclusive evidence that Jordan was a lesbian. If anyone thinks I'm wrong, please feel free to debate as always! Mvblair (talk) 13:41, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

There was no more discussion here, but there were edits in connection with this subject. I respectfully removed the words "second-handed sources" and "alledged", mostly out of concern over unencyclopedical language. The second part of your addition was very good and brings down the point of "alledged" in a more encyclopedical way. Debresser (talk) 15:52, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

Fair enough, Debresser. Can you think of any more suitable language that we might be able to change the first sentence of that paragraph? "Jordan was a lesbian with a longtime companion of more than 20 years, Nancy Earl." Personally, I think it would be much better to change that to "Second-hand sources claim Jordan..." just because that's the truth of it. Any other better language? Mvblair (talk) 22:29, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

I've rephrased that paragraph, being bold. Go and have a try at it, if you think it still isn't 100%. Debresser (talk) 18:31, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

No, that's fantastic. Thanks for taking the initiative. Mvblair (talk) 18:52, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Religion

Man, I'm doing a lot of talking about Jordan today! I added in her infobox that she was a Baptist. I'd like to find an appropriate place to discuss Good Hope Baptist Church, which was and is (I think) a fairly liberal church in Austin. Any suggestions? Perhaps under personal life? Mvblair 18:48, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Death

The only place her death is mentioned at all is in the Awards section -- I almost didn't spot it when I skimmed the article. More importantly, the article says nothing about the cause of death, which, IIRC, was related to her decline in health due to multiple sclerosis. But somebody more certain of the facts needs to add a line or two about this subject -- at the end of the Biography section. Thanks in advance! Cgingold (talk) 11:28, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

She drowned in her swimming pool "Jordan Found Unconscious in Pool;Revived, Former Representative Is in Critical Condition The Washington Post | July 31, 1988| Michael Holmes | . This material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Former representative Barbara Jordan (D-Tex.), who gained national prominence in 1974 during the impeachment hearings on President Richard M. Nixon, was in critical condition today after she was found floating unconscious in a swimming pool at her home, authorities said.

Officers had responded to a report of a possible drowning shortly after noon, and Jordan was treated at the scene by emergency medical technicians, said sheriff's Lt. Gary Irwin.

Jordan, 52, was taken by helicopter to Brackenridge Hospital in critical condition, authorities said. Paramedics "said she had a pulse, was trying ... —Preceding unsigned comment added by Paulasiri2 (talk • contribs) 21:36, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Ironically . . . a YMCA with a swimming pool was built with her nane on it http://www.swimmersguide.com/query/Detail.cfm?PoolID=420 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Paulasiri2 (talk • contribs) 21:38, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Misandry

This by Barbara Jordan seems to me to be relevant: "I believe that women have a capacity for understanding and compassion which man structurally does not have, does not have it because he cannot have it. He's just incapable of it."

What is the source? And to which section do you think it could be added? Debresser (talk) 10:35, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

anti-illegal immigration activist

There's a tag that proof has to be provided that Jordan was an anti-illegal immigration activist. The article says: In 1995, Jordan chaired a Congressional commission that advostcated increased restriction of immigration and increased penalties on employers that violated U.S. immigration regulations (with source).

It would seem clear that this proves that she was anti-illegal immigration. The question seems to be whether she was also an activist. I have not found any evidence (using Google) that she made any special efforts in connection with this opinion, besides her work on this commission.

Is this called an activist or no? Debresser (talk) 01:44, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

I don't see any evidence that Jordan pushed the issue beyond chairing an ad-hoc commision created by a sub-committee that issued a report. The mandate of the Commission was to review and evaluate the implementation and impact of U.S. immigration policy and to transmit to the Congress reports of its findings and recommendations.[2] So far as I can tell, Jordan did not draft legislation to enact any of the commission's proposals, and didn't notably push to get any bills passed. It appears that she died while the commission was still doing its work, so it's possible that she may have become an activist on the topic had she lived. But chairing a commission is a routine activity for a congresional representative, and I don't that it alone establoshes Jordan as an activist on the topic. Therefore, I'm going to remove the category. If we find more sources on her activism then we can restore it.   Will Beback  talk  00:41, 14 June 2009 (UTC)

Thank you for adressing this issue. Debresser (talk) 00:45, 14 June 2009 (UTC)

Before the edit war starts

Before the edit was starts... let's discuss it here. I think the information added, reverted and re-reverted is not realy important enough. At most it should be a line like "While she was Chair of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform she notably said: “It is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.” [3][4]".

Your opinions? Debresser (talk) 10:34, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

I removed the paragraph again about numbersusa.com. The sources added do not backup the claims made. They constitute original research as currently written. Further, the organization is hardly portrayed in a neutral manner. Please discuss it here before re-adding so that we may come to a consensus. Thank you. Wperdue (talk) 17:01, 21 May 2009 (UTC)wperdue

Just be carefull not to revert again. Even without the Wikipedia:Three-revert rule that is driving things up top. There's any number of editors that can and will have a look if needed. Debresser (talk) 17:18, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Quotations are best included in Wikiquote. For the encyclopedia, we might just summarize the quotation, saying something like "she believed that managing immigration served the national interest."   Will Beback  talk  19:10, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

I'd be happy to have more eyes on this issue to form a consensus. I feel comfortable with the reverts so far. Personally, I've removed it three times in as many days, and I see it has been reverted by other editors as well. I'd like to see some comments from the person who keeps adding it. Wperdue (talk) 21:05, 21 May 2009 (UTC)wperdue

It is important that Wikipedia be neutral . . . neither pro- nor anti- a particular viewpoint.

Wikipedia should not be Hero Worship. Featuring a piece about a UT-Austin statue as relevant to her Legacy is laudatory and don't we wish that is all there was to report. But it is clear that her work is regularly cited by anti-immigration activists. There are even sites out there that argue her interests were to safeguard African-American labor against competition from immigrants. Now, it is clear that last viewpoint is arguable. But it is not arguable that her "legacy," such as it is, includes sentiments that are still used in current political discourse to promote anti-immigration, "While she was Chair of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform she notably said: “It is both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest.” [2][3] —Preceding unsigned comment added by Paulasiri2 (talk • contribs) 21:48, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Here's the version I hope to post to the article if I hear no objection.

Is as neutral as possible, I think, insofar as it does cite multiple aspects of her legacy, not just the laudatory ones. If someone has more info on the IN YMCA named after her, that would also be great . . . maybe you can post this instead of me if you find the info. I looked on the YMCA's website but could find no "history" section which indicated when it was christened Barb. Jordan Paulasiri2 (talk) 22:21, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

It is not as if you gave us time to disagree before posting it :) but it's fine with me. There is some truth to what Will Beback said, that a quote might better be placed in Wikiquote, but I think this is an acceptable compromise. I hope all agree? Debresser (talk) 23:36, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Awards, honors and legacy

File:BarbaraJordan.JPG

Barbara Jordan Memorial at UT Austin

In 1993, Jordan was honored with the Elizabeth Blackwell Award from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Jordan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. It was only one of many honors given to her, including election into both the Texas and National Women's Hall of Fame. In 1995, she was awarded the prestigious United States Military Academy's Sylvanus Thayer Award, becoming only the second female awardee. Upon her death on January 17, 1996, Jordan lay in state at the LBJ Library on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. She was buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, and was the first black woman interred there. Her papers are housed at the Barbara Jordan Archives at Texas Southern University.

The main terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is named after her, as are a middle school in Cibolo, Texas and a high school in Houston.

The Kaiser Family Foundation currently operates the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars, a fellowship designed for people of color who are college juniors, seniors and recent graduates as a summer experience working in a congressional office.

On March 27th, 2000, a play on Ms. Jordan's life premiered at the Victory Garden Theater in Chicago, Illinois. Titled, "Voice of Good Hope", Kristine Thatcher's biographical evocation of Jordan's life played in theaters from San Francisco to New York.

The Barbara B. Jordan YMCA is in Martinsville, Indiana.

On April 24, 2009, a Barbara Jordan statue was unveiled at the University of Texas at Austin, a university at which Jordan taught. It is the first female statue on campus, besides the statue of the mythical Diana, and was paid for with student fees with the support of the University Board of Regents who approved the fee increase for the statue. The effort was originally spearheaded by student Joycelyn Jurado of the Texas Orange Jackets, a college spirit organization. [5]

Her stance on immigration is cited by opponents of current US immigration policy who cite her willingness to penalize employers who violate U.S. immigration regulations, tighten border security, while she also opposed amnesty or any other pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.[6]

References

Funeral stuff

I found:

• Fleck, Tim. "The Insider." Houston Press. Thursday January 25, 1996.

WhisperToMe (talk) 21:55, 20 November 2011 (UTC)

Any national or local Texas news on her campaign in '73?

Moreover, if anyone knows if she didn't seek reelection in 1979 or was defeated that would be of great help. I hope to see this article greatly expanded. Amazing person, incredible orator. Aruhnka (talk) 12:39, 21 November 2008 (UTC)

?

Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was an American politician from Texas. She served as a member of Congress from 1973 to 1979. She worked at a child care center before becoming a well known poitical figure.

Watergate: Historical Impact

I am amazed and nonplussed that Jordan's involvement in the Watergate Hearings is given one lousy sentence. "She made an influential speech". Whomever wrote this doesn't know their U.S. history, nor do they understand the impact she had on the hearings and everyone who listened to her as she described the constitutional criteria for impeachment. This is THE event that catapulted her to the public's attention. Her eloquent speeches during this extremely divisive time in U.S. politics were something for the history books and THE REASON she is rememberd to this day. Instead, I read a lot of blather on her sexual orientation. If this is the (sub)standard that Wikipedia articles maintain then ALL of us should be able to contribute to these articles, WITHOUT being a member of Wikipedia! Very sincerely, Heather Smith — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.119.179.21 (talk) 06:50, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Welcome to Wikipedia, Heather Smith. The great thing about Wikipedia is that ALL of us ARE able to contribute to these articles WITHOUT being a member. So, please edit the article. Just note a few preliminaries, check this out Wikipedia:A Primer for newcomers and be sure you support any controversial or questionable fact with a source. Again, welcome. Argos'Dad 17:36, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Proposed merge with Statement on the Articles of Impeachment

This speech should be recorded on her article. 🍺 Antiqueight ^confer 20:32, 21 October 2013 (UTC)

Any comments at all? If not I'll go ahead with the merge in a couple of days. 🍺 Antiqueight ^confer 00:15, 9 December 2014 (UTC)

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Orphaned references in Barbara Jordan

I check pages listed in Category:Pages with incorrect ref formatting to try to fix reference errors. One of the things I do is look for content for orphaned references in wikilinked articles. I have found content for some of Barbara Jordan's orphans, the problem is that I found more than one version. I can't determine which (if any) is correct for this article, so I am asking for a sentient editor to look it over and copy the correct ref content into this article.

Reference named "history":

• From Charles Stark Draper: "History of Charles Stark "Doc" Draper and the Draper Prize". National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved 2013-01-27.
• From Jeannette Rankin: Greenspan, Jesse (November 2, 2016). "7 Things You May Not Know About Jeannette Rankin - History Lists". HISTORY.com. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
• From International Standard Book Number: "ISBN History". isbn.org. 20 April 2014. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
• From Libertarian Party (United States): "David Nolan Reflects on the Libertarian Party on its 30th Anniversary". Colorado Freedom Report.
• From Delta Sigma Theta: Delta GEMS. Retrieved on December 13, 2008.
• From Boston University: Boston University | Visitor Center | About the University |History Archived February 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, retrieved May 6, 2006
• From List of Delta Sigma Theta sisters: "Delta Sigma Theta History". Archived from the original on October 28, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
• From Gloria Steinem: "Gloria Steinem". historynet.com. Retrieved November 8, 2014.

I apologize if any of the above are effectively identical; I am just a simple computer program, so I can't determine whether minor differences are significant or not. AnomieBOT⚡ 04:23, 22 August 2017 (UTC)

External links modified

Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 2 external links on Barbara Jordan. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:

• Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20080516031350/http://www.kaisernetwork.org/closerlook/05mar07 to http://www.kaisernetwork.org/closerlook/05mar07
• Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20100611085627/http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/JordanB/jordan.asp to http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/JordanB/jordan.asp

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Image from this article to appear as POTD soon

Hello! This is a note to let the editors of this article know that File:Rep. Barbara Jordan - Restoration.jpg will be appearing as picture of the day on 3 November 2018. You can view and edit the POTD blurb at Template:POTD/2018-11-03. If this article needs any attention or maintenance, it would be preferable if that could be done before its appearance on the Main Page. Thanks  — Amakuru (talk) 15:25, 1 November 2018 (UTC)

Picture of the day

Barbara Jordan (1936–1996) was an American lawyer, educator and politician who was a leader of the civil rights movement. A Democrat, she was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first Southern African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives. In 1974 she made an influential televised speech before the House Judiciary Committee supporting the impeachment process against Richard Nixon. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bill Clinton in 1994.Photograph: Uncredited (U.S. Congress). Restoration: Adam Cuerden.

Jordan was said to be gay 40 years ago

Barbara Jordan was known to be gay in the 1970s, while she served in the US Congress. Certainly, the handful of tabloids back then had coverage on this because that was the vehicle for the rest of the US to know that... Stevenmitchell (talk) 11:46, 3 November 2018 (UTC)

fourth vs fifth ward

At one point in the article it says she was from the fourth ward in Houston, but the link is to the page for the fifth ward, if anyone knows which is correct please fix it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.201.253.249 (talk) 14:43, 14 December 2018 (UTC)

Sexual orientation again

Jordan is listed on List of LGBT members of the United States Congress while her bio doesn't exactly confirm this. I see it's been discussed in threads (above) but I just wondered what the current opinion on this is. The source for the list is a LGBT website that I'm not sure is a reliable source. Liz ^{Read! Talk!} 02:12, 5 January 2021 (UTC)

Could you be more specific as to what your question about reliability is based on? -Jason A. Quest (talk) 06:08, 5 January 2021 (UTC)

I have the same concern as Liz. The article relies pretty heavily on these two sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20081114152344/http://www.hrc.org/issues/3554.htm and https://web.archive.org/web/20071214015046/http://www.planetout.com/news/history/aahist/jordan.html. They do not seem reliable. Other sources are less clear about her sexual orientation. I have edited the article to make it less cut-and-dried on this point. Amandil21 (talk) 21:30, 12 August 2021 (UTC)

The Human Rights Campaign is one of the oldest extant LGBTQ organizations in the United States, with strong connections in Washington dating back to when Jordan was politically active. At the time of that article, PlanetOut was the publisher of The Advocate, which is even older and a mainstay of the LGBTQ news media. These are among the "sources of record" for LGBTQ history. Additionally, both have tended toward a policy of don't-ask-don't-tell regarding closeted public figures, so it's not as if they're known for trafficking in unsubstantiated rumors. How are they not reliable sources? -Jason A. Quest (talk) 01:58, 13 August 2021 (UTC)

Well, both pieces treat Jordan's lesbianism as an established fact without giving any basis for saying so. The PlanetOut piece acknowledges that Nancy Earl denied that she was Jordan's partner; despite this, that article is entitled "Stateswoman Barbara Jordan - A Closeted Lesbian". So where are they getting this information from? Are we just supposed to take their word for it? Amandil21 (talk) 04:15, 13 August 2021 (UTC)

Wikipedia is based on citing reliable sources. As long as those sources are credible (which these are), we don't demand that they cite their sources. Reporting a denial while still maintaining that it's true is what fact-based organizations do. Why would we question the credibility of an LGBT political organization or news publisher on the subject of LGBT politicians? That's like questioning Christianity Today when they say that a late preacher was a Calvinist: they would know, better than most. -Jason A. Quest (talk) 19:07, 13 August 2021 (UTC)

OK, Jason, I hear your point re: the potential expertise of an LGBT publication on an LGBT topic. But the fact that HRC is a lobbying group give me pause. Christianity Today isn't a good comparison, at least when it comes to HRC. Would the encyclopedia treat a Christian lobbying group's website as a reliable source for information about a preacher? Also, I get that a source doesn't have to cite a source. But when a source is talking about someone's relationship and is flatly contradicting what one of the people in the relationship (here, Nancy Earl) says about that relationship, shouldn't the source give some basis for why it discounts what the person has said? And if it doesn't provide such a basis, is it really a reliable source in this instance? Amandil21 (talk) 19:22, 13 August 2021 (UTC)

I'm sorry: I thought the fact that CT also has a social agenda with political implications was obvious. To make it clear: I regard CT as a clearly biased – but credible – source, because they have little to gain and much to lose by trafficking in that kind of falsehood. -Jason A. Quest (talk) 02:06, 14 August 2021 (UTC)

Granted, CT has an agenda, but it isn't a lobbying organization. For me, that distinguishes it from HRC. Amandil21 (talk) 18:39, 14 August 2021 (UTC)

My position is this: Lots of sources say that Jordan and Earl were partners. However, neither woman appears to have confirmed this, and some sources express tentativeness about the exact nature of the relationship. I think the encyclopedia should express some tentativeness as well. I have just edited the page in a way that I think is faithful to the sources, and I welcome others' input. Amandil21 (talk) 19:08, 14 August 2021 (UTC)

The U.S. National Archives has stated that Jordan was the first LGBTQ+ woman in Congress: https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2021/06/10/lgbtq-history-month-barbara-jordan/. I've added this to the article. I think this calls for restoring Jordan on the LGBT Congress members list. Olivaw-Daneel (talk) 06:21, 15 August 2021 (UTC)

Olivaw-Daneel, I agree and have restored Jordan to the LGBT members of Congress page. I have also added information to this page accordingly. Amandil21 (talk) 18:10, 16 August 2021 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Digital Rhetoric

This article is currently the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 23 January 2024 and 6 May 2024. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Student2324, Eligore28, Lwh1007 (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by Eligore28 (talk) 17:55, 13 March 2024 (UTC)

Removing or rewording section about Needville, TX Barbara Jordan Park

There is a paragraph in the Texas section talking about the features of the Barbara Jordan Park located in Needville, Texas that is about word for word copying the source https://www.fortbendcountytx.gov/government/departments/parks-and-recreation/county-parks-community-centers/barbara-jordan-park. Maybe the section should be reworded or removed? I don't know if the features of the park is relevant to Jordan's wikipedia. Also the park is mentioned in the first paragraph of the Texas section, so it might seem repetitive to add a whole new paragraph about the park. Student2324 (talk) 04:34, 10 April 2024 (UTC)