A constitution sets out how all the elements of government are organised and how power is carved up among different political units. Excerpt taken from Great Speeches Volume 4 from Educational Video Group,. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Barbara Jordan: (04:13) Awarded a $1000 scholarship package to complete my philanthropic event for the betterment of my local community. Today, I am an inquisitor, and hyperbole would not be fictional and would not overstate the solemnness that I feel right now. There is something special about tonight. We have heard time and time again that the evidence reflects payment to the defendants of money. The Constitution charges the President with the task of taking care that the laws be faithfully executed, and yet the President has counseled his aides to commit perjury, willfully disregard the secrecy of grand jury proceedings, conceal surreptitious entry, attempt to compromise a federal judge, while publicly displaying his cooperation with the processes of criminal justice. Transcripts & captions for a better media workflow. In methodical and determined tones, she unfolded the constitutional standards that President Nixon had appeared to have violated. Speech-to-Text live streaming for live captions, powered by the worlds leading speech recognition API. Following graduation (magna cum laude in 1956), she attended Boston University Law School, where she was one of only two womenboth African Americans from Houstonto graduate. e baby pictures, in photo albums that usually remained on a shelf. Audience - Jordan's audience was like-minded democrats who saw Jimmy Carter as their hope for a new direction in American government. These assertions, false assertions, Impeachable, those who misbehave, those who behave amiss, or betray the public trust., Barbara Jordan: (11:40) We know the nature of impeachment. Jordan was the youngest of three daughters in a close-knit family. Under Title 17 U.S.C. We know about the break-in of the psychiatrists office. We were further cautioned today that perhaps these proceedings ought to be delayed because certainly there would be new evidence forthcoming from the President of the United States. We know that. We are a people in search of our future. We were further cautioned today that perhaps these proceedings ought to be delayed because certainly there would be new evidence forthcoming from the President of the United States. Our concept of governing is derived from our view of people. What was the purpose of Barbara Jordan's speech? We should now forthwith proceed to answer the question. Well, I believe the answer to that question lies in our concept of governing. They have often turned to the Democratic Party. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Updates? ", Justice Story: "Impeachment" is attended"is intended for occasional and extraordinary cases where a superior power acting for the whole people is put into operation to protect their rights and rescue their liberties from violations." This, my friends, is the bedrock of our concept of governing. ", James Madison again at the Constitutional Convention: "A President is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution." This morning, in a discussion of the evidence, we were told that the evidence which purports to support the allegations of misuse of the CIA by the President is thin. Now, we must look to the future. Barbara Jordan: (01:20) Become a freelancer and work on your own terms. We need to take to heart the words spoken by Thomas Jefferson, Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and that affection without which liberty, and even life, are but dreary things.. Molly Ivins, "Barbara Jordan, Closing the Gap in Perception," Los Angeles Times, 8 September 1991. It is a concept deeply rooted in a set of beliefs firmly etched in the national conscience of all of us. Fielding's office, after having met with Mr. Ehrlichman and Mr. Young. 5, No. Rep. Barbara Jordan Richard Nixon Impeachment Hearing Speech, Congressional Testimony & Hearing Transcripts. "Rescue their liberties from violation. Lyndon Johnson, who invited her to the White House for a preview of his 1967 civil rights message. Barbara Jordan: (08:36) We know about the Houston plan. Barbara Jordan won a seat in the Texas Senate in 1966. The most effective way to secure a freer America with more opportunity for all is through engaging, educating, and empowering our youth. We equip students and teachers to live the ideals of a free and just society. What was the purpose of Barbara Jordans speech? And I feel that notwithstanding the past, that my presence here is one additional bit of evidence that the American Dream need not forever be deferred. What that recital of the evidence this morning did not include is what the President did know on June the 23rd, 1972. If the impeachment provision in the Constitution of the United States will not reach the offenses charged here, then perhaps that 18th-century Constitution should be abandoned to a 20th-century paper shredder. Barbara Jordan: (16:15) Barbara Jordan: (03:08) More senior committee members had already made their statements, and Jordan was struck by how they all seemed to start by quoting the preamble to the Constitution, "We the people " "It occurred to me that not one of them had mentioned that back then the preamble was not talking about all the people," Jordan wrote. Barbara Jordan: (18:28) I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. When Barbara Jordan was born in Houston . In a perfect storm of unlikely circumstances, Barbara Jordan, a junior congresswoman from Houston, Texas, who grew up in segregation, landed a primetime spot to deliver an opening statement on. Indignation so great as to overgrow party interest may secure a conviction; but nothing else can.". Industry-leading accurate legal transcription to ensure you dont miss a statement. I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Chairman. (LBJ Presidential Library, National Archives) . We know about the break-in of the psychiatrist's office. May 2013. Ibid., 193. Theyll recognize that. Even as I stand here and admit that we have made mistakes, I still believe that as the people of America sit in judgment on each party, they will recognize that our mistakes were mistakes of the heart. Easily integrate Rev using our robust APIs to start building your product quickly. Mr. Chairman, you are a strong man, and it has not been easy but we have tried as best we can to give you as much assistance as possible. 2, pp. Barbara Jordan: (01:25) My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total. We need one branch to check the other.. Excerpts taken from a copy of arguably the most famous and important speech of Barbara Jordan's career. Barbara Jordan: (08:14) A constitution sets out how all the elements of government are organised and how power is carved up among differen t political units. We know the nature of impeachment. Section 107, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Chairman: (00:04) But today, that is not enough. (THESIS) Barbara Jordan's speech at the 1976 Democratic National Convention effectively inspired her audience because she relied on the appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos as well as. We know about the Houston plan. Alternate titles: Barbara Charline Jordan. It is hypocritical for the public official to admonish and exhort the people to uphold the common good if we are derelict in upholding the common good. Strike a balance. "Protect their rights." 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. Not only was Jordan one of the younger members of the Judiciary Committee, she was also one of the few women. And thats what were talking about. If we promise as public officials, we must deliver. Barbara Jordan: (00:17) The words are: "If the President is connected in any suspicious manner with any person and there be grounds to believe that he will shelter that person, he may be impeached. Jordan declared she would not be an idle spectator to "the destruction of the Constitution" by Richard Nixon and his administration. The nature of impeachment, is a narrowly channeled exception to the separation-of-powers maxim; the Federal Convention of 1787 said that. Impeachment criteria: James Madison, from the Virginia ratification convention. We are a heterogeneous party made up of Americans of diverse backgrounds. We are trying to be big, because the task we have before us is a big one. Logical Action *" Emotional Appeals *" Summary Barbara Jordan's 1976 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address was an amazing speech. Barbara Jordan served in the U.S. House of Representatives from the 18th district of Texas between 1973 and 1979. The division between the two branches of the legislature, the House and the Senate, assigning to the one the right to accuse and to the other the right to judge, the framers of this Constitution were very astute. Two kinds may be distinguished: 1) Immediate juxtaposition occurs when the second consonant sound follows right after the first -- back-to-back such as, "I need a b igger . Barbara Jordan: (12:22) In 1976, she was the first black woman to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention. This is the question which must be answered. Today I am an inquisitor. The President did know that it was Republican money, that it was money from the Committee for the Reelection of the President, which was found in the possession of one of the burglars arrested on June the 17th. In her speech, she mentions that though the Constitution laid by Washington and Hamilton included the phrase "We, the people", they forget to include her. But when that document was completed, on the seventeenth of September in 1787, I was not included in that "We, the people." The words are, If the president is connected in any suspicious manner with any person, and there be grounds to believe that he will shelter that person, he may be impeached. Just a story. That is what we are talking about. They represent what this country is all about. But through the process of amendment, interpretation and court decision I have finally been included in We, the people., The subject of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men. We should now forthwith proceed to answer the question. We know the nature of impeachment. The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men." Add English on-screen subtitles for videos. She captured the attention of U.S. Pres. When we read the speech given by Barbara Jordan we can easily make out that . What was the purpose of Barbara Jordan's speech? Well, I am going to close my speech by quoting a Republican president. We know about the break-in of the psychiatrist's office. We realize that. Achieving National Stature. The Constitution doesn't say that. Which structure does the author use to organize information in the text Improving Old MacDonald's Farm? Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-Texas) speaks at the House Judiciary Committee hearings on Watergate, There is no executive order. The style of Barbara Jordan's speech is formal. Has the president committed offenses and planned and directed and acquiesced in a course of conduct, which the Constitution will not tolerate? If each of us remembers when self-interest and bitterness seem to prevail, that we share a common destiny. Barbara Jordan: (00:15) "It is designed as a method of national inquest into the conduct of public men." These are the foundations upon which a national community can be built. As a first step, we must restore our belief in ourselves. "It is chiefly designed for the president and his high ministers" to somehow be called into account. But through the process of amendment, interpretation, and court decision, I have finally been included in We the people.. Moreover, the President has made public announcements and assertions bearing the Watergate case, which the evidence will show he knew to be false. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy. Barbara Jordan: (00:41) You can be a part of this exciting work by making a donation to The Bill of Rights Institute today! I do not mean political parties in that sense. Build with the best speech-to-text APIs around. The fact is that on yesterday, the American people waited with great anxiety for eight hours, not knowing whether their President would obey an order of the Supreme Court of the United States. Barbara Jordan: (05:27) When speaking to students, its ok to use broken English so that they can understand you more easi Barbara Jordan: (06:01) We are willing to suffer the discomfort of change in order to achieve a better future. At this point, I would like to juxtapose a few of the impeachment criteria with some of the actions the President has engaged in. We know that there was absolute, complete direction on September 3rd, when the president indicated that a surreptitious entry had been made in Dr. Fieldings office, after having met with Mr. Ehrlichman and Mr. Young. "We divide into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused." Barbara Jordan: ( 14:23) A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good. Source: Barbara Jordan Scrapbook, July - September, 1974. And if the President wants to supply that material, the committee sits here. "Prosecutions of impeachments will seldom fail to agitate the passions of the whole community," said Hamilton in the Federalist Papers, number 65. But tonight, here I am. How did that demonstrate its significance? Transcripts & captions for a better media workflow. "We divide into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused." And when the people raised their voices, we didnt hear. And during that time, it would have been most unusual for any national political party to ask a Barbara Jordan to deliver a keynote address. Barbara Jordan: (07:46) And that's what we're talking about. I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Chairman. A government is invigorated when each one of us is willing to participate in shaping the future of this nation. Weve been talking about it a while now. Barbara Jordan: (12:13) Moreover, the President has made public announcements and assertions bearing on the Watergate case, which the evidence will show he knew to be false. The Bill of Rights Institute teaches civics. This we must do as individuals. More is required of public officials than slogans and handshakes and press releases. We are told that that evidence is insufficient. Indignation so great as to overgrow party interest may secure a conviction, but nothing else can. Common sense would be revolted, if we engaged upon this process for petty reasons. In 1966, Jordan became the first African American elected to the Texas Senate. Explore our upcoming webinars, events and programs. The mediums that are used to get her speech out to the public are telecast reports and newspaper reporters. Barbara Jordan marked history in a number of ways, using the power of her speech and the clarity of her mind to break down barriers of race and gender. Barbara Jordan: (06:51) The Constitution doesn't say that. Barbara Jordan: (02:32) Read the transcript of her speech here. Barbara Jordan: (09:55) We are a people in search of a national community. Translated on-screen subtitles for videos. Two days later, on July 27, 1974, Jordan voted to impeach the president (Nixon would resign before the Senate commenced a trial). 7. "No one need be afraid"the North Carolina ratification convention"No one need be afraid that officers who commit oppression will pass with immunity." And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction, of the Constitution. Thank you. Transcribe your audio files to find high-impact insights in minutes. Beginning shortly after the Watergate break-in and continuing to the present time, the President has engaged in a series of public statements and actions designed to, James Madison, again at the constitutional convention: A President is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution.. They are indigenous to the American idea. Its tough, difficult, not easy, but a spirit of harmony will survive in America only if each of us remembers that we share a common destiny. It is chiefly designed for the President and his high ministers to somehow be called into account. The division between the two branches of the Legislature, the House and the Senate, assigning to the one the right to accuse and to the other the right to judge. The powers relating to impeachment are an essential check in the hands of the body of the Legislature against and upon the encroachments of the Executive. On July 25, 1974, Representative Barbara Jordan delivered a powerful speech at the Richard Nixon Impeachment Hearings. D.Parents with an abundance of pride in their kids often post their children's photos on social media even though such postings can cause their children great embarrassment. She also gave the keynote address in 1992, this time from a wheelchair; she had been afflicted by multiple sclerosis. It is to be used only for great misdemeanors, so it was said in the North Carolina Ratification Convention, and in the Virginia Ratification Convention, We do not trust our Liberty to a particular branch. The drawing of political lines goes to the motivation behind impeachment; but impeachment must proceed within the confines of the constitutional term "high crime[s] and misdemeanors." The division between the two branches of the Legislature, the House and the Senate, assigning to the one the right to accuse and to the other the right to judge, the Framers of this Constitution were very astute. And the most effective way to achieve that is through investing in The Bill of Rights Institute. She then accepted a position at the University of Texas, Austin, where she taught at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs until her death. "No one need be afraid," the North Carolina ratification convention: "No one need be afraid that officers who commit oppression will pass with immunity." Discover why Rev is the #1 speech-to-text service in the world. As students listen to the speech they can highlight, underline, and . A. to explain a problem with the wording of the Constitution B. to show that Congress was at work C. to explain the reason for an inquiry D. to thank members of the committee for being allowed to speak 1 See answer Advertisement Advertisement Common sense would be revolted if we engaged upon this process for petty reasons. Has the President committed offenses, and planned, and directed, and acquiesced in a course of conduct which the Constitution will not tolerate? And our meeting this week is a continuation of that tradition, but there is something different about tonight. The Best Speech-to-Text Solution for Your Business Learn how Rev fits into your businesses workflow. Mr. Chairman, I join my colleague, Mr. Wrangell, in thanking you for giving the junior members of this committee the glorious opportunity of sharing the pain of this inquiry. 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. ", James Madison again at the Constitutional Convention: "A President is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution.". She went on to become the first black person elected to Congress from Texas since Reconstruction. "If the President be connected in any suspicious manner with any person and there be grounds to believe that he will shelter him, he may be impeached. Become a freelancer and work on your own terms. , Look back at paragraph 8. Create a better, more engaging experience for every student. Although she acquired a reputation as an effective legislator, Jordan did not become a national figure until 1974 during the Watergate scandal, when her participation in the hearings held by the House Judiciary Committee on the impeachment of U.S. Pres. But, our deafness was only a temporary condition and not an irreversible condition. And now, what are those of us who are elected public officials supposed to do? Before the invention of social media apps, parents could not engage in sharenting and, therefore, did not have the opportunity to globally embarrass their children.C.A 14-year-old girl was surprised when she discovered that her mother had been posting photos of her on social media without her even knowing about it.D.Parents with an abundance of pride in their kids often post their children's photos on social media even though such postings can cause their children great embarrassment.l tmi, Article Sharetening Total TMIWhat is this Article mainly about?A.In the past, people took plenty of photographs using traditional film and typically k The fact is that on yesterday, the American people waited with great anxiety for eight hours, not knowing whether their President would obey an order of the Supreme Court of the United States. Barbara Jordan and Shelby Hearon, Barbara Jordan: A Self Portrait (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1979), 184. It is designed as a method of national inquest into the conduct of public men. I think it no accident that most of those immigrating to America in the 19th century identified with the Democratic Party. We should now forthwith proceed to answer the question. The speech is considered to be one of the greatest speeches in . And these are principles which are not negotiable. We must be. What the President did know on the 23rd of June was the prior activities of E. Howard Hunt, which included his participation in the break-in of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist, which included Howard Hunt's participation in the Dita Beard ITT affair, which included Howard Hunt's fabrication of cables designed to discredit the Kennedy Administration. Impeachment criteria: James Madison, from the Virginia ratification convention. She mentioned that about 144 years ago that the members of the Democratic Party first met in convention to select a presidential candidate; since then, the democrats have continued to meet once every four years and nominate a presidential candidate. What did Representative Jordan imply when she brought up the idea of pain in her first sentence? There is no way to improve upon that. I have confidence that the Democratic Party can lead the way. Before the invention of social media apps, parents could not engage in sharenting and, therefore, did not have the opportunity to globally embarrass their children.C.A 14-year-old girl was surprised when she discovered that her mother had been posting photos of her on social media without her even knowing about it.D.Parents with an abundance of pride in their kids often post their children's photos on social media even though such postings can cause their children great embarrassment.l tmi, What is this Article mainly about? "Rescue their liberties from violation. Now, what are these beliefs? This speech was delivered to the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate Scandal hearings and came to define the course of the . Its the news, without the news. The citizens of America expect more, deserve and they want more than a recital of problems. Barbara Jordan: (04:36) Barbara Jordan emerged as an eloquent and powerful interpreter of the Watergate impeachment investigation at a time when many Americans despaired about the Constitution and the country. It is reason, and not passion, which must guide our deliberations, guide our debate, and guide our decision. And in the Virginia ratification convention: "We do not trust our liberty to a particular branch. Now, that I have this grand distinction, what in the world am I supposed to say? '"5 The next evening, when the camera focused on her, Jordan opened with an African American perspective on the Constitution, then quickly moved her rhetorical position to that of all "the people" covered by that document of protections and promises. July 25, 1974. It's a very eloquent beginning. Barbara Jordan: (11:17) It's a very eloquent beginning. Those who "behave amiss or betray the public trust. In other words, [the jurisdiction comes] from the abuse or violation of some public trust. ( Don't do it if you don't know it or if you What that recital of the evidence this morning did not include is what the President did know on June the 23rd, 1972. What is special? She won national acclaim for giving a measured, eloquent lesson on the constitutional principles at stake. Barbara Jordan: (00:11) It is wrong, I suggest, it is a misreading of the Constitution for any member here to assert that for a member to vote for an article of impeachment means that that member must be convinced that the President should be removed from office. ", We have heard time and time again that the evidence reflects the payment to defendants money. The constitution doesnt say that. According to Jordan, how did President Nixon subvert the Constitution? "Protect their rights." Create a better, more engaging experience for every student. You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser. People want more. "The reaction from the other committee members was: 'You must be out of your head.' House of Representatives in 1972 (Trescott). Build with the best speech-to-text APIs around. Thus option (A) is correct. For many, Barbara Jordan was the definition of an eloquent woman. The framers of this Constitution we very astute. What is it? "It is to be used only for great misdemeanors," so it was said in the North Carolina ratification convention. I have that confidence. who gave a speech at career day at Jordan's high school. I could recite these problems and then I could sit down and offer no solutions, but I dont choose to do that either. But when that document was completed on the 17th of September in 1787, I was not included in that We the people. Ive felt somehow, for many years, that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. Barbara Jordan: (06:04) A.In the past, people took plenty of photographs using traditional film and typically kept more personal shots, lik Barbara Jordan, a Democrat from Texas, was the first southern African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. They did not make the accusers and the judges the same person. The federal convention of 1787 said that. The words are, If the President be connected in any suspicious manner with any person and there be grounds to believe that he will shelter that person, he may be impeached. . Because we believe this idea so firmly, we are an inclusive rather than an exclusive party. She passed the Massachusetts bar exam but moved to Tuskegee Institute (later renamed Tuskegee University) in Alabama and taught there for one year before returning to Texas and gaining admittance to the bar there. The President did know that it was Republican money, that it was money from the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, which was found in the possession of one of the burglars arrested on June the 17th. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barbara-Jordan, BlackPast.org - Biography of Barbara Jordan, Barbara Jordan - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Barbara C. Jordan - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Barbara Jordan at the 1976 Democratic National Convention. Speech-to-Text API for pre-recorded audio, powered by the worlds leading speech recognition engine. But what we can do is defined new ways to implement that system and realize our destiny. Jordan's eleven-minute statement in the committee's public hearings was broadcast on prime-time television. Today I am an inquisitor. That is not sufficient reason for the majority of the people of this country to decide to vote Democratic. Thus option (A) is correct. And in the Virginia ratification convention: "We do not trust our liberty to a particular branch. Were trying to be big, because the task we have before us is a big one. Barbara Jordan: (07:45) The drawing of political lines goes to the motivation behind impeachment; but impeachment must proceed within the confines of the constitutional term "high crimes and misdemeanors." Speech-to-Text live streaming for live captions, powered by the worlds leading speech recognition API. Pettiness can not be allowed to stand in the face of such overwhelming problems. We have a positive vision of the future founded on the belief that the gap between the promise and reality of America can one day be finally closed. We're told that that evidence is insufficient. Pettiness cannot be allowed to stand in the face of such overwhelming problems.