Congress Week 2011

Did you know that this September 17 marks the 224th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution?  To mark the occasion,  September 12-16, 2011 has been established as Congress Week.  Texas Southern University Special Collections and the Barbara Jordan Archives are members of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress, a professional organization of information specialists that support and promote a wide range of educational and informative programs for students, scholars, and the public at large about the history of Congress and the process by which public policies are set.  To learn more about the ACSC and Congress Week, click here.


TSU and the Barbara Jordan Archives are proud to present our 2011 Congress Week exhibit, which salutes the five TSU graduates  (Al Green, Hank Johnson, Craig Washington, Mickey Leland, and of course, Barbara Jordan) who represented their constituents in Congress.  To see our online exhibit, click here.  We will also have a physical installation of this exhibit at the Robert J. Terry Library in the main lobby during Congress Week.   Join us in celebrating the lives and achievements of these outstanding TSU alums!  

Jordan Commemorative Stamp News

It's been a long and busy summer for us here at the Barbara Jordan Archives.  We've been preparing for the fall semester as well as for some exciting events happening very soon!  As we mentioned some time back, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan is being honored by the United States Postal Service with a commemorative stamp as part of the Black Heritage series.  The official unveiling and First Day of Issue ceremony will be held on Texas Southern University's campus at the Granville Sawyer Auditorium on Friday, September 16, 2011 at 11am.  For reservations, please call 1-866-268-3243 no later than September 9.  Stamps will be on sale at the event, so be among the first to own a piece of Texas history!  As part of the celebration, the Barbara Jordan Archives will have several displays highlighting artifacts and memorabilia from Jordan's collection, so be sure to stop by the archives at the Robert J. Terry Library (next door to the Sawyer Auditorium) after the ceremony!  In addition, the Houston Philatelic Society will be exhibiting and selling the Jordan stamp as part of their "First Day of Sale" activities at the Greater Houston Stamp Show in Humble the weekend of September 16-18, 2011. For more information, click here.

And as if that were not exciting enough, the Barbara Jordan/Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University is hosting a "Women for Barbara" fundraising breakfast at the Hilton Americas - Houston on Friday, September 16 from 8-10am, just prior to the stamp unveiling at TSU.  Tickets range from $100 to $250, and the proceeds will go towards scholarships for TSU students.  Click here to make your reservation.

Also, we will be celebrating Congress Week again this year from September 12-16, 2011, sponsored by the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress.  The ACSC is a professional organization of archivists and curators who maintain archives and collections of political movers and shakers throughout American history.  The Barbara Jordan Archives was represented at the ACSC meeting in Washington, D.C. this past May at the National Archives; a short presentation was given about the timeline exhibit that was installed at the BJ/ML School of Public Affairs this past February and March.  This year, we will again honor Jordan as well as four other TSU graduates (Mickey Leland, Craig Washington, Hank Johnson, and Al Green) who all went on to become U.S. Representatives--quite a feat for a school that's been in existence for less than 100 years!  We will have an exhibit in place at the Robert J. Terry Library's Special Collections during that week so you can learn more about these five great alums.  

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

It's been a while since we've had an update--things have slowed down a bit with the archives since the 75th birthday celebration and progression of the semester here at TSU. That said, we are looking forward to the postage stamp unveiling which will happen sometime this fall (location is still to be determined, we'll keep you posted).

In the meantime, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, we wanted to create an exhibit that told the story of Jordan's involvement with the Voting Rights Act of 1975. This legislation was an extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which essence prohibited states from using poll taxes, literacy tests, "grandfather clauses," or gerrymandering in elections--these were typical tactics used to deny or curtail the voting rights of US citizens on account of race or color, particularly in the Southern states. When the Act was due for reauthorization in 1975, Jordan became interested in extending voting rights to Mexican American voters, chiefly due to the interest of her staffers Bob Alcock and Bud Myers, who were connected with many civil rights lobbyists in Washington. They brought to Jordan's attention the fact that Mexican American voters were having difficulties with voter blocking and intimidation in many parts of the U.S., particularly in areas with high concentrations of Hispanics--including Texas. Texan attorney Paul Cedillo, Jr., also brought to Jordan's attention an incident involving voter intimidation at a school board election in Rosenberg, Texas in 1975, sending her affidavits from Mexican American voters who were turned away from the polls for a variety of reasons. Jordan had a personal interest in the issue as she had connections to MALDEF, LULAC, and had even assisted Cesar Chavez during a 1967 protest in Texas over minimum wages for migrant workers; in addition, her chief aide Bob Alcock’s mother was a Mexican native, so the issue of voting rights for Mexican Americans hit close to home for Jordan.

Jordan decided the time was right to amend the Voting Rights Act to not only include Spanish-speaking citizens, but other language-minority voters--and to make sure Texas, which was excluded from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in terms of voting fairness for language-minorities was included in the reauthorization. Please visit our online exhibit at Flickr to learn more: English version or En Español (note: you can pause any slide at any time by clicking the pause icon at the bottom left of the slide show). Or, if you're in the Houston area, please visit us at the Robert J. Terry Library's Special Collections, and you can see our exhibit in person through the month of May.

National Women's History Month

Did you know that March is National Women's History Month? In 1978, noticing a huge gap in K-12 curriculum, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a "Women's History Week." In 1987, a Congressional resolution expanded the week to a full month. The governing body that oversees National Women's History Month, the National Women's History Project, was founded in 1980 and has forged a continuing mission to further study of multicultural women'sactive role in creating history. The NWHP is known "as the only clearinghouse providing information and training in multicultural women’s history for educators, community organizations, and parents" (from the NWHP website--read more about the National Women's History Project here). This year's theme is "Our HISTORY is Our Strength."

In honor of National Women's History Month, the Barbara Jordan Archives has assembled a special exhibit at TSU's Robert J. Terry Library that highlights Barbara Jordan's special awards and citations that are part of the Jordan Papers. The collection includes plaques, certificates, medals, city keys, signed photographs, and proclamations awarded to Jordan from the national, state and local levels.

In accordance with the National Women's History Month theme, Jordan's history lies in the fact that she was a strong woman: a strong speaker; a strong role model; a strong politician; a strong educator; and a strong leader. Jordan's awards number in the hundreds, and they stand as a testament to the high esteem in which Houston, the state of Texas and, indeed, America held Barbara Jordan, the girl from the Fifth Ward who made a difference. We are delighted to put some of Jordan’s treasures on display as an opportunity for our students, patrons and friends to learn more about Jordan.

Barbara Jordan: 75th Birthday Diamond Jubilee--Kickoff Event!

Tonight, February 17, 2011, marks the kickoff of Barbara Jordan's Diamond Jubilee celebration, honoring what would have been Jordan's 75th birthday this February 21. The events are sponsored by the Barbara Jordan/Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University. Tonight we will have a reception at the Robert J. Terry Library on the TSU campus from 6:3o-8:30pm--there will be speakers, food, and a chance to see some of the treasures held at the Barbara Jordan Archives. Everyone is welcome to attend! There are other activities scheduled for this Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday--for more information, click here. We hope to see you there--stop by and say hello!

Barbara Jordan--75th Birthday Diamond Jubilee

This February 21 marks what would have been Jordan's 75th birthday. In honor of the occasion, the Barbara Jordan/Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University is launching a series of events that will begin Thursday February 17, 2011 with a kick-0ff reception at the Barbara Jordan Archives. Over the course of a few days, the School of Public Affairs will be hosting speaking events, a tree-planting ceremony at Barbara Jordan Park, an essay contest, and a worship service and portrait unveiling at Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church. To the right is a schedule of events. For more information, contact information for the School of Public Affairs can be found here or you can contact the Barbara Jordan Archives at 713-313-7298. We hope you'll be able to join us at one or all of these events to celebrate the life of a great speaker, a fine stateswoman and a visionary.

Barbara Jordan and Black History Month

Did you know February is African American History Month (also known as Black History Month)? Historian Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in the early 20th century, and the organization conceived Negro History Week in 1925 in order to promote the contributions and achievements of African Americans to America's rich history and culture. Negro History Week was expanded to a month in 1976 to coincide with America's bicentennial and the event's name was changed to Black History Month. Each year has a different theme, and this year's theme looks at African Americans and the Civil War. Read more about African American History month here.

This article about Barbara Jordan appeared in today's Houston Chronicle, briefly describing the stunning and culture-changing achievements of this native Houstonian. Jordan remains a shining example of strength and determination to make things better for all people. (Image courtesy of the Houston Chronicle.)