Barbara Charline Jordan

Jordan, Barbara Charline (1936– ), first African-American woman from a Southern state to serve in the U.S. Congress. A Democrat, Jordan represented Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives for 3 terms (1973–79). In 1974, as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, she became nationally known during the impeachment hearings for President Richard Nixon. Two years later she was the first black keynote speaker at a national Democratic Party convention.