True Stories

Black History Told by … Not Black People

Because Black history is American history

Welcome to Black History Month, OZY style. Launched in 1926 as Negro History Week, it was officially recognized as a monthlong celebration in 1976. Some believe America’s Black history requires year-round recognition, while others may feel a month is too long. Black history is a contribution to the overall history of America, so we at OZY are ensuring that it’s celebrated and showcased by all Americans in a bold new way. African American OZY staffers will guide the discussion this month by turning their mics toward non-Black colleagues for their take on what Black history means to them. We believe the insights gained will help enrich the great American experiment.

Flashback

The Black Texas Congresswoman Who Took On Nixon

Barbara Jordan paved the way for women like Sen. Kamala Harris and Stacey Abrams.

It’s still considered one of the great American political speeches. “My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total,” Barbara Jordan thundered. “‘We, the people.’ I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution.”

Jordan, a Black congresswoman in a pink suit and thick glasses, acknowledged that when the Constitution was drafted she wouldn’t have been included in that solemn promise. But on July 25, 1974, she delivered those words on national television, a staunch defense of Congress’ right to seek the impeachment of President Richard Nixon.