 "Photo: Jacqueline Gilles/The Daily Texan")
The University will unveil a bronze statue of Barbara Jordan today, marking the first time a woman will be honored with a statue on campus. Jordan, who was the first black woman from Texas to serve in Congress, also taught at the LBJ School of Public Affairs from 1979 until her death in 1996.
“I think the women who came up with the idea were really on target when they looked around the campus and didn’t see themselves depicted,” said Sherri Sanders, the director of the statue project. “They felt they needed to see a strong female leader, and I feel Barbara Jordan was the perfect selection.”
The ceremony, which will be held by the Battle Oaks at 24th Street and Whitis Avenue, celebrates the career and life of a woman who inspired many during her career as a politician and teacher.
“From my perspective as a student, she was a champion of students,” said Dera Barlow, a government senior who co-chaired the project. “Her statue will represent everything that was her. I feel like it is intertwined with my own legacy now as a student at UT.”
Seven years ago, the incoming class of the Orange Jackets, a women’s service organization, chose Barbara Jordan to be honored with a statue for her status as a role model who has made a difference to people in Texas and at the University, said Leslie Blair, a spokeswoman for the division of diversity and community engagement.
The statue of Jordan joins other Austin tributes to the former congresswoman, including a sculpture at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and an artist’s rendering at Kinsolving Dormitory.
“While she was here [at UT], she really did impact everyone she came into contact with,” Barlow said. “They saw her everywhere on campus and around Austin. I think that’s why she has had such a strong influence.”
Jordan, who was an advocate for civil rights, gained recognition for her commanding speeches during the Watergate hearings and was the first African-American to be buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
“I think having someone who was a role model for so many and who really gave a voice to the voiceless and had such an incredible sense of ethics was important,” Sanders said. “I think with it being the first female statue, we really wanted to choose someone who was not only a role model for the UT community but also for the state of Texas.”
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