JANUARY 14-20;Barbara Jordan Dies With all the talk about House freshmen, none has yet had the impact that Barbara Jordan of Texas had in 1974.

Houston Congresswoman Barbara Jordan speaks during the House Judiciary Committee’s debate on articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon in 1974.

AUSTIN, Texas — Black History Month is a time to look back at the Black Americans who changed our world for the better. One name you'll hear a lot in Austin, year-round, is Barbara Jordan.

Jordan quickly became a leader in the debate. In one famous speech in 1974, in a steady, careful voice, Jordan expressed her belief in the Constitution and the rule of law over politics.

If she were alive, Texan Barbara Jordan would heartily endorse the celebration of Juneteenth, a federal holiday signed into law in 2021.

The late Rep. Barbara Jordan and future AL.com columnist Roy S. Johnson after appearing on a panel on sports at he University of Texas in 1994.

Jordan quickly became a leader in the debate. In one famous speech in 1974, in a steady, careful voice, Jordan expressed her belief in the Constitution and the rule of law over politics.

Barbara Jordan was a woman of many firsts in her career. In her relatively short time in Congress and the Texas State Senate, she left an immeasurable impact.