Interfaith Library Added: May 7, 2026

Barbara Jordan: Texas Civil Rights Pioneer

Barbara Jordan – "The People's Constitution"

Barbara Jordan

"My faith in the Constitution is whole. It is complete. It is total. I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution."

— Barbara Jordan, statement on the impeachment of Richard Nixon, 1974

Barbara Jordan was the first Black woman elected to the Texas Senate and the first Southern Black woman in the U.S. Congress. She used her power not for self-aggrandizement but for constitutional fidelity: voting rights, immigrant protections, and accountability for corruption.

Her career models Article VII — Political Witness as Prophetic Preaching. She entered the halls of power and refused to leave her conscience at the door. Jordan also proved that a person of deep faith (she was a Baptist) and a person of rigorous constitutional scholarship can be the same person.

For Covenant Members who wonder whether they can hold office and still hold the Charter, Barbara Jordan's life answers: yes, and you must.

Connection to Our Charter

Barbara Jordan's career exemplifies Article VII's vision of Political Witness as Prophetic Preaching. Her unwavering commitment to constitutional principles while holding elected office demonstrates that faithful people can and must engage in political leadership without compromising their values.

Further Reading & Resources

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