Essay On Barbara Jordan

Resilience is the ability to fight against obstacles and overcoming them. There are several characteristics that align with resilience. Important characteristics may include intelligence, determination, leadership, strength, and optimism. In all, a person that is resilient portrays different characteristics of resilience which makes them unique. People are distinguished as resilient by the actions that are taken when adversities occur, especially when the outcomes appear bleak. Barbara Jordan demonstrated resilience by advocating justice while using characteristics of resilience which also paved the way for all African-American women.

On February 21, 1936, Barbara Jordan was born in Houston, Texas. Her father, a Baptist minister while her

mother was a maid, housewife, and a school teacher made a decent living for Jordan and her siblings. Barbara Jordan attended Phyllis Wheatley High School, a segregated high school, and graduated in 1952. It was in high school, on career day when a lawyer named Edith Sampson delivered a speech, she then realized her desire to become an attorney. With this drive, she soon enrolled at Texas Southern University after not being able to attend the University of Texas due to segregation. Well-spoken she was, Jordan joined a debate team, which became nationally renowned. After graduating magna cum laude from Texas Southern University, she advanced onto Boston University’s law school. Afterward, she progressed to take the Massachusetts and Texas bars, passing them both. Later, she returned to Texas to open her own law office (Rosenbaum). Throughout Jordan’s career, she exemplified resilience; despite all obstacles such as segregation, she continued to push through to ensure that she obtains her education to make a change.
Moreover, Barbara Jordan depicted resilience through her intelligence to lead her debate team. Claire Ronner acknowledged while Barbara Jordan was at Texas Southern University, she joined the debate team and helped it become nationally renowned when the team famously tied Harvard debaters (Ronner). Although the team did not win, a tie between the Harvard debaters portrayed how skilled the debate team was and this had not occurred before Jordan joined the team. Although this was one encounter intelligence was the foundation of Barbara Jordan’s resilience. With this intelligence, Jordan used it to fight against a popular team, exhibiting her resilience within to be the best.
Additionally, Barbara Jordan demonstrated resilience by being knowledgeable with that she continued to help communities. Denise Velez points out that Jordan managed a highly organized Get-Out-the-Vote program that served 40 Houston African-American precincts (Velez). Not only did it establish that Jordan was educated but she was also an active, organized member of the community. She understood how to help individuals that were not as educated. With this, she remained knowledgeable by maintaining the program which could have collapsed due to inorganization. Jordan proved that she was capable of performing tasks to a high standard. Jordan remained resilient by upholding projects and ensuring that all her knowledge was passed down to the community.
Additionally, Jordan remained resilient by being logical when it came to immigration policy, although others were against it.

Jordan simply stated, “It was both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest” (Kammer). For Jordan to analyze this controversial topic, articulate it and still have support after simply shows that she understood the matter at hand. Jordan never afraid to speak her mind demonstrated her logic and resilience to causes she believed in disregarding the possible backlash. She did not let anyone sway her from being logical. At the time, politicians worried that Jordan was not a good politician, but this proved her to everyone that she was strong and unbiased. Nevertheless, Jordan remained resilient by demonstrating her logic throughout her works in

politics.
Furthermore, Barbara Jordan exhibited her resilience through determination. When she attended Boston’s law school, she earned her law degree as one of two African-American women in her class (Rosenbaum). The determination was unique for a black woman during that period of segregation/desegregation since there was a great deal of racial tension around her. On contrary to thought, instead of being discouraged by other’s expectations of her; she kept moving forward and achieved her goals. Additionally, the fact that Jordan was one of two black women who graduated law school portrayed how rare it was for a black woman to gain a high educational status. With that Jordan obtaining her degree depicts how hard she worked. This played a heavy role in Jordan’s life, determination was a key role in her being resilient.
Continually, Barbara Jordan demonstrated resilience through motivation.

In the History, Art & Archives webpage it affirmed that while Jordan studied for the Massachusetts and Texas bars, to supplement income she obtained a job as an assistant to a county judge (History). Although Jordan was studying in school she stayed motivated when she had to get a job to satisfy her living arrangements. This shows motivation because studying in school is difficult enough so to continue to add another workload it is assumed she was motivated to maintain and overcome her busy schedule. Subsequently, Barbara Jordan portrayed her resilience through her motivation by continuing to work hard in school and the job to take care of

herself.
Furthermore, Barbara Jordan remained resilient by being perseverant. Jordan ran for the Texas House twice unsuccessfully before winning the 1966 contest for a newly created Texas State Senate district (History). Despite losing the campaign twice, Jordan did not allow a small defeat to be the end of her story. She continued to drive through two more times before she could succeed. After she finally gained victory it was seen that her hard work paid off and the voters believed that she would make a great candidate. Jordan made a guarantee to take every opportunity and use it as experience to find true success. Jordan demonstrated resilience through perseverance that drives all throughout her.
Similarly, Jordan also proved her resilience through dedication and willpower. Reported by the Associated Press of The New York Times, “Never losing her potent talent for public speaking, even from the confines of a wheelchair [she] suffered from multiple sclerosis was wheelchair bound, but still gave a speech at the Democratic Convention in 1992” (Associated Press). In spite of being impaired Jordan remained dedicated to her platform; at the time she delivered speeches to inspire others to stand up for the truth. Barbara Jordan suffered from various health issues so to set aside these concerns to continue to work was dedication and willpower. Instead of allowing her sickness to overcome her, she kept moving and working. Jordan continued to exhibit resilience through her dedication by always sticking to her work ethic.
With that, Barbara Jordan also portrayed her resilience through leadership. Jordan stated during Nixon’s impeachment hearing, “My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution" (Clines). Surprisingly, Jordan shocked the world by this strong sense of self. She stood tall and expected highly of everyone to the standards presented in the Constitution. Although, Jordan was unconcerned in the case whether Nixon was guilty or not; she stressed the issue that the Constitution should not be eradicated due to political gain. The way that Jordan was articulate with what she believed in depicted her leadership. If it was another speaker, they could become afraid of repercussions for stating an opinion against the president at the time, but Jordan was not concerned. Barbara Jordan’s interest was only for the truth and justice. This speech depicted how Jordan was resilient through her leadership.
Throughout her career and life, Barbara Jordan was fair in all her cases and this demonstrated her resilience through her career. Jordan simply articulated, "It was both a right and a responsibility of a democratic society to manage immigration so that it serves the national interest" (Kammer). Barbara believed that immigration policy needed to be mended and also it as unfair to bar immigrants to access to a better life. This displayed fairness because it gave immigrants a chance to be respected. This was one of the many platforms that Barbara focused on within her career. Throughout her career, everything she worked on was to help people gain what she believed had been taken away such as the personal rights. This portrayed her resilience by fairness because the work she accomplished was done out of the goodness of her heart and not for personal gain.
Moreover, Jordan continued to portray her resilience through her humility toward her personal health. As Edward Boyer described, “She kept her illnesses, private until she died, which included multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and cancer” (Boyer). Thus, Jordan was modest and continued to work without informing others of her state of health. In a way, Jordan sacrificed her health for her work. Jordan continued to work and to hide the fact that she was ill, which could have contributed to her decrease in health. Jordan proved that she could complete her tasks in spite of her poor health. This demonstrates resilience because not only did Jordan spared her health it can be insinuated somehow she was protecting everyone around her from feeling obligated to assist her.
Importantly, Barbara Jordan demonstrated her resiliency beyond the grave by being an influential figure. James Antle admitted, “Not long after Jordan’s untimely death in January 1996, the effects of her absence were felt” (Antle). Jordan remained by her morals and work ethic and was missed for it. Despite Jordan had passed away, all her work did not go unnoticed, and instead, her work’s inspired Americans everywhere. She made it from a time where it was extremely difficult for African-Americans to make a name for themselves. Although it was an impressive act to help the people of her time; unknowingly she continued to educate and give guidance for generations to come. By completing many firsts as a black woman, she also proved her resiliency by pushing through all her obstacles and being recognized for her acts, she exhibited how hard she worked and how influential she was and continued to be after death.
In brief, Barbara Jordan was a resilient woman overall. She achieved many firsts for an African-American woman in her period. Jordan exhibited several characteristics of resilience which defined her as a unique person who was worth being aware of. Additionally, as a black woman to reach prestige levels during that time was an incredible accomplishment. It also was revealed that no matter how difficult her life was, she continued to help anyone who struggled. Barbara Jordan proved to be a resilient woman through her leadership, intelligence, motivation and many other characteristics. Barbara Jordan stood for justice and she discovered some throughout every encounter of her life.