Barbara Jordan: African American Politician (Journey to Freedom: The African American Library) [Library Binding]

Joseph D. McNair (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Journey to Freedom: The African American Library

Traces the life and work of this African-American woman who was a respected politician, teacher, and spokeswoman for democracy.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 40 pages
• Publisher: Child's World (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567667414
• ISBN-13: 978-1567667417
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,866,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, Defender of the Constitution, February 9, 2002

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Barbara Jordan: African American Politician (Journey to Freedom: The African American Library) (Library Binding)

On July 25, 1974, Congressman Barbara Jordan of Texas explained the Constitution to the American public during the House Judiciary Hearings preparing articles of impeachment against President Nixon. Almost two years later, on July 12, 2976, Jordan gave an electrifying Keynote Address at the Democratic Convention that nominated Jimmy Carter that had some delegates wanting to draft her to be the Vice-Presidential candidate. In both speeches Jordan made use of her ethos, as an African-American woman, to great effect. "Barbara Jordan: African American Politician" tells the remarkable story about how this virtually unknown woman became the voice of America's conscience during Watergate.

Joseph D. McNair uses an usual approach to tell Jordan's story, creating the framing device of Mwalimu, a Nigerian story teller telling children "a story of an African American woman who stood up to defend the U.S. Constitution--a black woman who stood up to the most powerful man in the world." Consequently, the book begins with the event that made Jordan famous and then goes back to her birth, when her father fretted that her skin was too dark. A successful debater in both high school and college, Jordan turned to politics where she began the first female African American state senator in Texas history, became friends with Lyndon Johnson, and eventually was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. It is difficult to find many members of Congress who had as big an impact on the American psyche as Barbara Jordan did in only three terms. McNair's biography provides a comprehensive look at Jordan's life and public career in this volume from the "Journey to Freedom," which is an excellent source of information about the achievements and contributions of noted Africa-Americans.