The Well-Spoken Woman by Christine K. Jahnke

Ben and Arlyne, raised three daughters in Houston's fifth ward, a racially segregated community. Ben was a Tuskegee man who workedas a warehouse clerk and part-time minister. From her father, Jordan learned the importance of precise diction. Her mother was an orator in her own right who spoke at church revivals and missionary meetings.

    Born and raised in Texas, Jordan had a voice with a decidedly New England, Kennedyesque quality. This may have been due in part to her law school years in Boston and her time as a volunteer for John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. Her distinctive voice contributed to her sense of being exceptional, which had been reinforced by her grandfather, John Patton. He encouraged her to think of herself as smarter than other kids, telling her that “she could do better, she could be better.” She strived to exceed his expectations and in high school decided she must be named “Girl of the Year.” Her strategy to secure the honor focused on maximizing her vocal talents and minimizing what she lacked. Jordan was not born with many of the things that mattered to other teenagers—the right clothes, “the right light color,” and the right hair. 8 So, she set out to become the best public speaker at Phillis Wheatley High School by winning debates and oratorical contests.
    What Jordan might ultimately do with her speaking ability was made clear during a school assembly in 1950. A guest speaker named Edith Spurlock Sampson, a trailblazing African American attorney, knocked Jordan's socks off with her poised, assured demeanor. Sampson told the students they should consider the law as a career. Jordan remembered Sampson as an incredible presence: “I didn't know what I was talking about, but I declared in the tenth grade I will become a lawyer.” 9 It wasn't until 1949 that law schools began to admit African American students, but Jordan's mind was made up. After being selected “Girl of the Year” in her senior year, she was on her way.
    A Talker Who Walks the Walk
    Jordan liked to remind people that she graduated from Texas State University (TSU), a school that was created to keep black students out of the University of Texas. At TSU, Jordan was a speaking champion, yearbook editor, sorority sister, and student council member. When she applied to law school, Jordan chose Boston University because it was one of only two schools in thecountry that had always been integrated. In Massachusetts, Jordan felt isolated in an unfamiliar community and outmatched by her peers. Her class of over six hundred students included only two black women, and the competition was rigorous. She was up against equally ambitious students, some of whom had the advantage of degrees from top schools. For the first time, she questioned whether she would be able to compete.
    I realized, starkly, that the best training available in an all-black, instant university was not equal. Separate was not equal, no matter what face you put on it. It came to me that you couldn't just say something was so, because somebody brighter, smarter, more thoughtful would come out and tell you it wasn't so. Then, if you still thought it was, you had to prove it. I really can't describe what that did to my insides and to my head. I said I'm being educated, finally. I'm doing sixteen years of remedial work in thinking. 10
    In her first year, Jordan feared the remedial work she needed would cause her to fail, so she studied in private, not wanting her classmates to see her struggle. There was no money to travel home for the holidays, and she spent her first Christmas alone at the movies. Later, Jordan commented that those trying years taught her to always be ready. She would go so far as to prepare for conversations with other students so they would never perceive any shortcomings. The discipline she gained is evident in the texts of her speeches—every word is purposefully chosen. Unlike the speakers of much of