--- title: "Best Barbara Jordan Sayings" description: "Barbara Charline Jordan was an American politician, attorney, and educator. Browse 89 Barbara Jordan quotes." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-barbara-jordan-16352.jpg" --- ![Portrait of Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-barbara-jordan-16352.jpg) # Barbara Jordan (1936–1996) Politician United States **89** quotes in **499** categories Rate this collection: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet Barbara Jordan was a politician from the United States, best known for *Prentice Hall Literature -- Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes -- Bronze Level*. ## Quick Facts About Barbara Jordan Born February 21, 1936 Died January 17, 1996 Nationality United States Profession Politician Notable works Prentice Hall Literature -- Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes -- Bronze Level ## About Barbara Jordan Barbara Charline Jordan was an American politician, attorney, and educator. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate since Reconstruction, the first woman descendant of American slavery elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and one of the first two African Americans elected to the U.S. House from the former Confederacy since 1901, alongside Andrew Young of Georgia. ## Awards & Honors Presidential Medal of Freedom National Women's Hall of Fame Spingarn Medal Texas Women's Hall of Fame Elizabeth Blackwell Award Margaret Brent Award Ladies' Home Journal Women of the Year ## Quotes by Barbara Jordan · Page 3 > [We believe that the people are the source of all governmental power; that the authority of the people is to be extended,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/we-believe-that-the-people-are-the-source-of-all-governmental-power/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/barbara-jordan-7656_authority_we-believe-that-the-people-are-the-sourc_104222.jpg) > [All my growth and development led me to believe that if you really do the right thing, and if you play by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/all-my-growth-and-development-led-me-to-believe-that-if-you-really-do/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c9/barbara-jordan-7656_able_all-my-growth-and-development-led-me-to_263870.jpg) > [But this is the great danger America faces. That we will cease to be one nation and become instead a collection of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/but-this-is-the-great-danger-america-faces-that-we-will-cease-to-be/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/670/barbara-jordan-7656_america_but-this-is-the-great-danger-america-fac_903512.jpg) > [What we have to do is strike a balance between the idea that government should do everything and the idea, the belief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/what-we-have-to-do-is-strike-a-balance-between-the-idea-that/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12a/barbara-jordan-7656_balance_what-we-have-to-do-is-strike-a-balance-b_733078.jpg) > [There is no executive order; there is no law that can require the American people to form a national community. This we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/there-is-no-executive-order-there-is-no-law-that-can-require-the/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0e/barbara-jordan-7656_american-people_there-is-no-executive-order-there-is-no_863723.jpg) > [We are a party of innovation. We do not reject our traditions, but we are willing to adapt to changing circumstances, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/we-are-a-party-of-innovation-we-do-not-reject-our-traditions-but-we/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/barbara-jordan-7656_achieve_we-are-a-party-of-innovation-we-do-not-r_15256.jpg) > [How do we create a harmonious society out of so many kinds of people? The key is tolerance -- the one value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/how-do-we-create-a-harmonious-society-out-of-so-many-kinds-of-people/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08b/barbara-jordan-7656_belief_how-do-we-create-a-harmonious-society-ou_2776122.jpg) > [It is a privilege to serve people, a privilege that must be earned, and once earned, there is an obligation to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/it-is-a-privilege-to-serve-people-a-privilege-that-must-be-earned-and/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/barbara-jordan-7656_obligation_it-is-a-privilege-to-serve-people-a-priv_1158715.jpg) > [Things which matter cost money, and we've got to spend the money if we do not want to have generations of parasites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/things-which-matter-cost-money-and-we-ve-got-to-spend-the-money-if-we/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/barbara-jordan-7656_citizens_things-which-matter-cost-money-and-we-ve_2087309.jpg) ## Barbara Jordan by topic [People (25)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/barbara-jordan/) [Immigration (13)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/barbara-jordan/) [Politics (10)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/barbara-jordan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/#itemlist", "name": "Barbara Jordan Quotes", "numberOfItems": 9, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We believe that the people are the source of all governmental power; that the authority of the people is to be extended, not restricted.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barbara Jordan" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/we-believe-that-the-people-are-the-source-of-all-governmental-power/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/barbara-jordan-7656_authority_we-believe-that-the-people-are-the-sourc_104222.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/barbara-jordan-7656_authority_we-believe-that-the-people-are-the-sourc_104222.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/barbara-jordan-7656_authority_we-believe-that-the-people-are-the-sourc_104222.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We believe that the people are the source of all governmental power; that the authority of the people is to…” — Barbara Jordan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All my growth and development led me to believe that if you really do the right thing, and if you play by the rules, and if you?ve got good enough, solid judgment and common sense, that you?re going to be able to do whatever you want to do with your life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barbara Jordan" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/all-my-growth-and-development-led-me-to-believe-that-if-you-really-do/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c9/barbara-jordan-7656_able_all-my-growth-and-development-led-me-to_263870.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c9/barbara-jordan-7656_able_all-my-growth-and-development-led-me-to_263870.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c9/barbara-jordan-7656_able_all-my-growth-and-development-led-me-to_263870.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All my growth and development led me to believe that if you really do the right thing, and if you play by…” — Barbara Jordan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But this is the great danger America faces. 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