Barbara Jordan was born on February 21, 1936 in Houston, Texas. She had 2 sisters, and her parents were Reverend Benjamin, a Baptist minister, and Arlyn Jordan. Her mother was a great orator, or speaker, but did not pursue a career, and instead devoted herself to being a wife and mother. Her mother "was the most eloquent, articulate person I ever heard. If she had been a man, she would have been a preacher." Barbara inherited her great …showed first 75 words of 714 total…

…showed last 75 words of 714 total…the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention at which she nominated President Bill Clinton. In 1994, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Barbara died on January 17, 1996 at the age of 60. She had suffered from multiple sclerosis for years and more recently had been diagnosed with leukemia. Her death was attributed to pneumonia, believed to be a complication of the leukemia. Barbara Jordan had earned a lasting reputation as a powerful force in American politics.