35 Best Barbara Jordan Quotes On Voting, Education And The Constitution
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Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, politician, and educator from the United States.
She was a Civil Rights activist and the first African American woman to be elected to the Texas Senate. She was a well-known politician and was highly praised for her opening statement at the House Judiciary Committee during Nixon's impeachment proceedings.
Another huge achievement of Jordan's was that she was the first woman to deliver a keynote address at the 1976 Democratic National Convention. Her work as a politician and an activist deserves appreciation. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work, and sadly passed away on 17 January 1996.
This article has a list of 35 best quotes said by the famous politician, Barbara Jordan. For more inspiring quotes, check out these Civil Rights quotes and [activist quotes] too.
The Best Barbara Jordan Quotes
Given below is a list of the best quotes by Barbara Jordan, the great and inspiring politician elected to the Texas Senate.
1. “What the people want is very simple - they want an America as good as its promise.”
-Barbara Jordan, quoted in Shelby Hearon, 'Barbara Jordan, A Self-Portrait'.
2. “A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good.”
-Barbara Jordan.
3. “The citizens of America expect more. They deserve and they want more than a recital of problems.”
-Barbara Jordan.
4. “If we promise as public officials, we must deliver. If we as public officials propose, we must produce.”
-Barbara Jordan.
5. “The imperative is to define what is right and do it.”
-Barbara Jordan.
6. “In other times, I could stand here and give this kind of exposition on the beliefs of the Democratic Party and that would be enough. But today that is not enough. People want more."
-Barbara Jordan.
7. “Let's all understand that these guiding principles cannot be discarded for short-term political gains. They represent what this country is all about. They are indigenous to the American idea. And these are principles which are not negotiable.”
-Barbara Jordan.
Popular Barbara Jordan Quotes
Some popular quotes from Barbara Jordan are given below.
8. "'We the people' - it is a very eloquent beginning. But when the Constitution of the United States was completed on the seventeenth of September in 1787, I was not included in that 'We the people.'"
-Barbara Jordan.
9. “... we must face the fact that unilateral action on the part of the United States will never be enough to stop illegal immigration.”
-Barbara Jordan.
10. “Life is too large to hang out a sign: For Men Only.”
-Barbara Jordan.
11. “Our concept of governing is derived from our view of people. It is a concept deeply rooted in a set of beliefs firmly etched in the national conscience, of all of us.”
-Barbara Jordan.
12. “I have confidence that we can form this kind of national community.”
-Barbara Jordan.
13. “Earlier today we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States.”
-Barbara Jordan.
14. “We cannot improve on the system of government handed down to us by the founders of the Republic. There is no way to improve upon that. But what we can do is to find new ways to implement that system and realize our destiny.”
-Barbara Jordan.
Strong Barbara Jordan Quotes
A list of strong Barbara Jordan quotes is given below. Some of these Barbara Jordan quotes are taken from Barbara Jordan speeches.
15. “I never intended to become a run-of-the-mill person.”
-Barbara Jordan.
16. “My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution.”
-Barbara Jordan, statement on the Articles of Impeachment, delivered 25 July 1974, House Judiciary Committee.
17. “I was doing sixteen years of remedial work in thinking.”
-Barbara Jordan.
18. “If this is the best you have to offer, I haven’t missed anything.”
-Barbara Jordan.
19. “It is reason, and not passion, which must guide our deliberations, guide our debate, and guide our decision.”
-Barbara Jordan.
20. “I think it no accident that most of those emigrating to America in the 19th century identified with the Democratic Party. We are a heterogeneous party made up of Americans of diverse backgrounds.”
-Barbara Jordan.
21. “I really do not have much interest in being a symbol.”
-Barbara Jordan.
Inspirational Barbara Jordan Quotes
Some inspirational Barbara Jordan quotes are given below. Read a given Barbara Jordan quote to get some inspiration from the inspirational woman elected to the Texas Senate.
22. “One thing is clear to me: We, as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves.”
-Barbara Jordan.
23. “If you're going to play the game properly, you'd better know every rule.”
-Barbara Jordan.
24. “Just remember the world is not a playground but a schoolroom. Life is not a holiday but an education. One eternal lesson for us all: to teach us how better we should love.”
-Barbara Jordan, quoted in Shelby Hearon, 'Barbara Jordan, A Self-Portrait'.
25. “It’s a remarkable opportunity to have an impact on the generation that will succeed me.”
-Barbara Jordan.
26. “Each day I look for a kernel of excitement. In the morning, I ask, 'What is my exciting thing for today?' Then, I do the day. Don't ask me about tomorrow.”
-Barbara Jordan.
27. “Education remains the key to both economic and political empowerment.”
-Barbara Jordan.
28. “The greatest motivation… has to come from inside you.”
-Barbara Jordan.
29. “Ethical behavior means being honest, telling the truth, and doing what you said you would do.”
-Barbara Jordan.
Famous Barbara Jordan Quotes
Given below is a list of famous Barbara Jordan speech quotes.
30. “Do not call for black power or green power. Call for brain power.”
-Barbara Jordan.
31. “There is no executive order; there is no law that can require the American people to form a national community. This we must do as individuals and if we do it as individuals, there is no President of the United States who can veto that decision.”
-Barbara Jordan.
32. “It is a privilege to serve people, a privilege that must be earned, and once earned, there is an obligation to do something good with it.”
-Barbara Jordan.
33. “For all of its uncertainty, we cannot flee the future.”
-Barbara Jordan.
34. “We must exchange the philosophy of excuse - what I am is beyond my control for the philosophy of responsibility.”
-Barbara Jordan.
35. “If the society today allows wrongs to go unchallenged, the impression is created that those wrongs have the approval of the majority.”
-Barbara Jordan.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for the35 best Barbara Jordan quotes on voting, education and the Constitution, then why not take a look at these Rosa Parks quotes or these 'I Have A Dream' speech quotes too?
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English
Arkoprabho SadhuBachelor of Arts specializing in English
Arkoprabho is an English graduate from Bidhannagar University with experience in academic writing on various subjects such as business management, law, and medicine. He is a published poet and enjoys films, music, and finance. As a member of the Content Updating team, he aims to become an expert in SEO content writing and editing. In his free time, he likes to write film scripts, research the stock market, and indulge in creative interests such as poetry writing, anime, and music.
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