BARBARA JORDAN

In the early 1970s, the United States was embroiled in Watergate, a political scandal following a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. This event led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by President Nixon's administration and a subsequent cover-up. As the House Judiciary Committee began its impeachment inquiry against President Nixon, Barbara Jordan, a junior committee member, delivered her statement on national television.

Speaking with authority, clarity, and deep respect for the Constitution, she outlined the impeachment process and the constitutional foundation for it. Barbara began by emphasizing the importance of the inquiry, not just for the present but for preserving constitutional democracy for future generations. She made it clear that impeachment was not about partisan politics but about upholding the principles of the Constitution. She stated, "My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total. I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution."

Barbara's speech became one of the most memorable in American political history and profoundly impacted the nation. It reminded Americans of the importance of the rule of law and the checks and balances embedded in the Constitution. And her eloquence, intelligence, and moral authority brought clarity to a complex issue, earning her widespread admiration from the public and her colleagues in Congress.

For Barbara, who was not yet 40 years old at the time, it was a moment years in the making and marked the beginning of her rise to national fame.