Barbara Jordan
Meet the Author:
Barbara Charline Jordan (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was a lawyer, educator, an American politician, and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Ms. Jordan was the first African American woman elected to the Texas Senate. When she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, she became the first African American woman to represent a former Confederate state in Congress. Jordan was also the first African American woman to give the keynote speech at a political convention.
When I look at race relations today I can see that some positive changes have come about. But much remains to be done, and the answer does not lie in more legislation. We have the legislation we need; we have the laws. Frankly, I don’t believe that the task of bringing us all together can be accomplished by government. What we need now is soul force—the efforts of people working on a small scale to build a truly tolerant, harmonious society. And parents can do a great deal to create that tolerant society.
We all know that race relations in America have had a very rocky history. Think about the 1960s when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was in his heyday and there were marches and protests against segregation and discrimination.The movement culminated in 1963 with the March on Washington.
Following that event, race relations reached an all-time peak. President Lyndon B. Johnson pushed through the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which remains the fundamental piece of civil rights legislation in this century. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ensured that everyone in our country could vote. At last, black people and white people seemed ready to live together in peace.
But that is not what happened. By the 1990’s the good feelings had diminished. Today the nation seems to be suffering from compassion fatigue, and issues such as race relations and civil rights have never regained momentum.
Those issues, however, remain crucial. As our society becomes more diverse, people of all races and backgrounds will have to learn to live together. If we don’t think this is important, all we have to do is look at the situation in Bosnia today.
How do we create a harmonious society out of so many kinds of people? The key is tolerance—the one value that is indispensable in creating community. If we are concerned about community, if it is important to us that people not feel excluded, then we have to do something. Each of us can decide to have one friend of a different race or background in our mix of friends. If we do this, we’ll be working together to push things forward.
One thing is clear to me: We, as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves. I must be willing to accept people who don’t look as I do and don’t talk as I do. It is crucial that I am open to their feelings, their inner reality.
What can parents do? We can put our faith in young people as a positive force. I have yet to find a racist baby. Babies come into the world as blank as slates and, with their beautiful innocence, see others not as different but as enjoyable companions. Children learn ideas and attitudes from the adults who nurture them. I absolutely believe that children do not adopt prejudices unless they absorb them from their parents or teachers.
The best way to get this country faithful to the American dream of tolerance and equality is to start small. Parents can actively encourage their children to be in the company of people who are of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. If a child thinks, “Well, that person’s color is not the same as mine, but she must be okay because she likes to play with the same things I like to play with,” that child will grow up with a broader view of humanity.
I am an incurable optimist. For the rest of the time that I have left on this planet I want to bring people together. You might think of this as a labor of love. Now, I know that love means different things to different people. But what I mean is this: I care about you because you are a fellow human being and I find it okay in my mind, in my heart, to simply say to you, I love you. And maybe that would encourage you to love me in return.
It is possible for all of us to work on this—at home, in our schools, at our jobs. It is possible to work on human relationships in every area of our lives.
After reading Jordan’s speech, what are your thoughts about what is worth fighting for and what is not?
Recall Which does Jordan think is a more important force for bringing about good race relations: the government or parents? Explain.
Recall According to Jordan, what is the most important civil rights law of the 20th century and why?
Interpret What does Jordan mean when she says that the U.S. has “compassion fatigue”? Explain in your own words.
Infer Why does Jordan think that people should put their faith in children? Support your answer with examples from the selection.
Evaluate Do you think Jordan’s ideas about increasing tolerance are good ones? Explain why or why not.