Tag Archives: age 17

Barbara Jordan: 1st Black Woman from a Southern State to Serve in the House of Representatives

Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by Leshell Hatley.

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In 1972, Barbara Jordan was elected to serve in the Ninety-third Congress, becoming the first African American woman elected to Congress from Texas and the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the South. In 1976, Jordan was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention at which she nominated President Jimmy Carter. She became the first African American to give a keynote speech at a major party’s political convention.

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James Baldwin: Author and Civil Rights Activist

Posted on 19. Oct, 2009 by Leshell Hatley.

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James Baldwin established his reputation with his first novel, Go Tell It On The Mountain (1953), an autobiographical tale of growing up in Harlem. He became one of the leading African-American authors of his generation, known for novels and essays that tackled black-white and hetero-homosexual relationships. He was particularly a noted essayist during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Baldwin turned to writing after being encouraged by Richard Wright, and, like Wright, left the U.S. after World War II and moved to France.

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