Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer. Barbara Jordan, Congresswoman, -78. United States, None. Between 1972 and 1978. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2020731393
This photograph is valuable for classroom use because of Barbara Jordan’s importance in Texas and United States history. Students can learn about Jordan’s life and work as well as her powerful voice. This photograph is especially relevant to students learning about Jordan’s famous speech during the 1974 House Judiciary Committee hearing in which she argued that President Nixon should be impeached. A video and transcript of her comments can be found at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. Though this photograph was not taken during those remarks, it shows her speaking at a podium during the same time period. According to the National Women’s History Museum, Barbara Jordan was the first Black woman elected to the Texas Senate and the first Black woman to represent the south in Congress since 1898. Her story is important for students learning about influential US politicians, Black history, or the impeachment of President Nixon. The National Women’s History Museum also acknowledges that though Jordan was private about her personal life, historians believe she was in a long-term relationship with Nancy Earl. This would also make Jordan significant for students learning about LGBTQ historical figures in the US.
Barbara Jordan was an important political and historical figure in the United States, and her story is important for students learning about Black history and/or the impeachment of President Nixon. Her story is especially important to Texan students, as Barbara Jordan was born in Texas and represented Texans in the US Congress. This photograph can serve as an entry point for a lesson on What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?, a picture book by Chris Barton. Teachers can introduce Barbara Jordan and use this nonfiction book to teach students about her life. The book focuses on Jordan’s powerful voice, including her 1974 speech during the impeachment hearings for President Nixon. This book can serve as a mentor text for students learning about informational texts and narrative nonfiction. It could be part of a unit on biographies, in which students embark on their own biography research projects. It could be used to teach the compare/contrast text structure, as students could compare Barbara Jordan’s life with another important historical figure. It could also be used to teach the concept of a central idea.
This photograph by photographer Bernard Gotfryd shows Congresswoman Barbara Jordan between 1972 and 1978. Jordan is pictured standing at a podium, and she is likely in the middle of addressing an audience. According to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, Barbara Jordan served as a Texas senator from 1967 to 1972 before representing Texas in the US Congress from 1973 to 1979. This photograph was therefore taken sometime during her time as a senator or congresswoman.
- Who was Barbara Jordan, and how did she use her voice to inspire change?
- What barriers did Barbara Jordan overcome in her role as a congresswoman?
- What do you notice about Barbara Jordan’s photograph? How does it communicate the idea that she is a powerful speaker?
Texas ELAR TEKS
ELAR.4.9Di & iii: recognize characteristics and structures of informational text, including: (i) the central idea with supporting evidence . . . and (iii) organizational patterns such as compare and contrast.
- The photograph of Barbara Jordan supports TEKS English Language Arts 4.9D because it can be used alongside the study of the informational text What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? by Chris Barton (author) and Euka Holmes (illustrator). It is an informational text about Barbara Jordan’s life. Students can study this book and identify the main idea and supporting evidence or compare and contrast Barbara Jordan with another historical figure.
ELAR.4.13: Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes. The student is expected to: (A) generate and clarify questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry; (B) develop and follow a research plan with adult assistance; (C) identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources; (D) identify primary and secondary sources; (E) demonstrate understanding of information gathered; (F) recognize the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism when using source materials; (G) develop a bibliography; and (H) use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results.
- This image supports TEKS 4.13 because it can be an example for students to begin a biography research project of an important historical figure.
- Teachers can use What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? by Chris Barton (author) and Euka Holmes (illustrator) to introduce students to the life and work of Barbara Jordan. After reading the book, students can work to identify the central idea of the book and find supporting details. Students can use a graphic organizer to guide their thinking. Students can use this exercise as an opportunity to return to the book to find text evidence. The photograph of Barbara Jordan is relevant to this book because it focuses on her powerful voice and speeches. In the photograph, she is likely in the middle of delivering a speech. Teachers can also use the combination of this photograph and the Barton/Holmes book to teach the compare/contrast informational text structure. Students can use a graphic organizer such as a Venn Diagram to compare Barbara Jordan to another important historical figure.
- This photograph can also be used as part of a unit on biographies and research. Teachers can guide students in examining the photo before telling them anything about Barbara Jordan. Students can make observations and ask questions before reading about Barbara Jordan’s life. Teachers can model the process of learning about a historical figure and documenting the research in the form of a report or presentation. Students can then begin their own research project on a historical figure of their choice. Teachers can guide them on developing a research question, conducting research, locating and citing primary and secondary sources, presenting their findings, and other skills mentioned in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for fourth grade
- Some may argue against teaching students about the history of Barbara Jordan and her role in calling for the impeachment of President Nixon because they are uncomfortable with discussing political topics in school. Others may question the inclusion of Barbara Jordan’s personal life in the curriculum due to homophobic ideology. Teachers can take comfort in the widespread support for teaching students about Barbara Jordan, as seen by Austin Independent School District’s decision to name an elementary school in her honor.
Links to resources for approaching those topics
- Teachers looking for more information about Barbara Jordan’s intersecting identities as a Black woman with multiple sclerosis can read the article linked below by UT Austin professor Lisa L. Moore.
- O'Halloran, Thomas J, photographer. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, head-and-shoulders portrait, possibly seated in a Congressional chamber / TOH. , 1976. Apr. 7. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003688128/.
- This photograph from 1976 shows Barbara Jordan in black and white. The caption indicates that Jordan is possibly sitting in a congressional chamber. Though this photograph is not in color, it also appears to show Jordan at work in her role as a congresswoman.
- Leffler, Warren K., photographer. Keynote address by Representative Barbara Jordan, Democratic National Convention. New York, 1976. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002712192/.
- This is an earlier photo of Barbara Jordan. This is a significant photo because it is of a woman addressing the 1976 Democratic National Convention. Not only is she a woman, she is a woman of color addressing delegates from all states.
- Moore, Lisa L. “Looking Back at Barbara Jordan.” QT Voices, July 7, 2022. https://sites.utexas.edu/queerandtransvoices/2022/07/looking-back-at-barbara-jordan/
- United States Congress, “JORDAN, Barbara Charline,” accessed December 23, 2024, https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/J000266.
- “‘My Faith in the Constitution Is Whole; It Is Complete; It Is Total.’” Miller Center, November 13, 2019. https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/impeachment/my-faith-constitution-whole-it-complete-it-total.
- Alexander, Kerri Lee. "Barbara Jordan." National Women's History Museum. 2019. Accessed December 23, 2024. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/barbara-jordan.
- “Barbara Jordan Elementary School.” History | Barbara Jordan Elementary School. Accessed December 23, 2024. https://barbarajordan.austinschools.org/about-us/history.