SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 325
WHEREAS, February 21, 2011, marked the 75th anniversary of
the birth of the Honorable Barbara Jordan; the legacy that she
established in her service to the citizens of Texas and the
United States of America remains a source of inspiration to
countless people, and time cannot diminish the contributions of
this admirable patriot, politician, teacher, mentor, friend,
icon, and hero; and
WHEREAS, Born in 1936 to Benjamin and Arlyne Jordan,
Barbara Jordan was raised in Houston's Fifth Ward and graduated
with honors from Phillis Wheatley High School in the Houston
Independent School District; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Jordan attended Texas Southern University,
where she majored in government and history and was a member of
the debate team, winning numerous honors for her oratory skills;
after graduating magna cum laude from Texas Southern University,
she enrolled at the Boston University School of Law and received
her law degree in 1959; and
WHEREAS, In 1966, Ms. Jordan became the first black woman
ever elected to the Texas Senate as well as the first African
American to be elected as a state senator in the United States
since 1883; and
WHEREAS, Following her successful run for a seat in the
United States Congress in 1972, Ms. Jordan served in the House of
Representatives from 1973 until 1979, during which time she
enhanced her reputation as an evocative public speaker and arose
as a leader on issues relating to voting rights, consumer
protection, energy, and the environment; and
WHEREAS, In her role as a member of the House Committee on
the Judiciary, she gained national prominence during the
Watergate impeachment proceedings against President Nixon in
1974; speaking before the committee, she movingly portrayed the
intention of the framers of the United States Constitution and
eloquently expressed her faith in that document, even as she
noted that "We the People," the first words of the preamble to the
Constitution, were not originally intended to apply to African
Americans; and
WHEREAS, In 1976, Congresswoman Jordan became the first
female and the first African American to serve as the keynote
speaker at the Democratic National Convention, and her speech
reiterated her faith in the Constitution and the desire to form a
national community that would fulfill the country's purpose of
creating and sustaining a society in which all are equal; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Jordan retired from elective office in 1979
and became a distinguished professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson
School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin;
for the remainder of her life, she focused on mentoring a new
generation of aspiring leaders, encouraging them to excel and to
commit themselves to public service; and
WHEREAS, At the request of President Bill Clinton, she
became chair of the United States Commission on Immigration
Reform in the mid-1990s and held that office until her death; in
1994, President Clinton honored her for her patriotism and
outstanding service by awarding her the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor; and
WHEREAS, Barbara Jordan passed away in January 1996, but
her lifelong commitment to freedom, integrity, equality, and
justice resonates as powerfully today as it did in years past,
and her tireless efforts to champion our nation's highest ideals
are indeed deserving of our recognition and respect; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd
Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the life of Barbara Jordan in
honor of the 75th anniversary of her birth.
Ellis
Carona Lucio Wentworth Carona Lucio Wentworth
Carona Lucio Wentworth
Davis Ogden West Davis Ogden West
Davis Ogden West
Duncan Seliger Whitmire Duncan Seliger Whitmire
Duncan Seliger Whitmire
Gallegos Shapiro Williams Gallegos Shapiro Williams
Gallegos Shapiro Williams
Hinojosa Zaffirini Hinojosa Zaffirini
Hinojosa Zaffirini
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 22, 2011,
by a rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate
Carona Lucio Wentworth
Davis Ogden West
Duncan Seliger Whitmire
Gallegos Shapiro Williams
Hinojosa Zaffirini