About Their Business: 7 Black Female Politicians Who Made History

- By

Barbara Jordan

In 1966, Barbara Jordan became the first black female member of congress from the Deep South and the first woman elected to the Texas Senate. She was also the first black woman to serve as president pro tem of the state senate. In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson invited her to the White House for a preview of his civil rights speech. In 1972, Jordan served one day as the acting governor of Texas. In 1976, she gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. The speech is ranked 5th on the list of the “Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th Century.”

Comment Disclaimer: Comments that contain profane or derogatory language, video links or exceed 200 words will require approval by a moderator before appearing in the comment section. XOXO-MN