Barbara Jordan was one of the first Black and LGBTQ women in Congress, but her relationship was kept secret until her death

Talia LakritzFeb 17, 2023, 21:52 IST

Barbara Jordan.File/AP

Barbara Jordan was one of the first Black and LGBTQ women in Congress, elected in 1972.
A gifted orator, she spoke at the Nixon impeachment hearings and two Democratic conventions.

As the first Black woman from a Southern state to serve in the US House of Representatives, Barbara Jordan paved the way for many future leaders.

Barbara Jordan.AP

She began her political career as a Texas state senator in 1966, becoming the first Black woman to hold the position.

State senator Barbara Jordan is sworn in as governor of Texas for a day on June 10, 1972, in Austin, Texas.TWP/AP

It was during her time as a state senator that she met her longtime partner, Nancy Earl.

Nancy Earl (in the red shirt), Barbara Jordan's partner.Barbara C. Jordan Archives/UNT Libraries

In 1972, Jordan was elected to represent Houston's 18th district in Congress.

Six of the 12 new female members of the United States House of Representatives in the office of the Speaker of the House in 1973. From left to right: Martha Griffiths, Shirley Chisholm, Elizabeth Holtzman, Barbara Jordan, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, and Bella Abzug.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

As a member of Congress, Jordan focused on expanding civil rights protections.

Charles Rangel and Barbara Jordan look over a copy of the Constitution during a House Judiciary Committee debate in 1974.File/AP

Jordan gained national recognition after delivering opening remarks at a 1974 impeachment hearing for President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

Barbara Jordan, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, speaks during a hearing in 1974.AP

Her star continued to rise as the first Black person and first woman to deliver the Democratic party's keynote address at the 1976 convention.

Barbara Jordan gives the keynote address at the 1976 Democratic National Convention in New York City.Owen Franken, Corbis-Getty Images

She retired in 1979 after three terms in the House of Representatives due to health challenges from multiple sclerosis.

Barbara Jordan tells a House Judiciary subcommittee that she favors extension of the ratification period for the proposed Equal Rights Amendment in 1978.Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

While Jordan was open about her sexual orientation with those close to her, she kept her relationship with longtime partner Nancy Earl out of public view.

Barbara Jordan (far left) and her partner, Nancy Earl (back row, second from the right) at the Parliamentary Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1974.Dev O'Neill/Barbara C. Jordan Archives/UNT Libraries

She delivered the DNC's keynote address once again in 1992, telling fellow Democrats, "We know what needs to be done and how to do it."

Barbara Jordan delivers her keynote address during the Democratic National Convention in 1992.Joe Marquette/AP

After she died at age 59 in 1996, she was the first Black woman to be buried in the Texas State Cemetery.

Barbara Jordan in 1976.File/AP

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