[Barbara Jordan Scrapbook, July - October, 1970] Page: 87 of 104

                                
Woman
By CASSY BELL
Daily News Staff
"When I was first elected to the Sen-
ate," said Senator Barbara Jordan, "I
became a part of the sight-seeing tour at
the state capitol."
Miss Jordan, the first Negro woman to
be elected to the Senate, took office in
1966. Since then, she has become known
as the out-spoken, clear-thinking Senator
who champions women's rights, Black
rights, and is the unofficial spokesman
for the underprivileged.
Her remarks to a large assembly in the
ballroom of the Student Center at the
University of Texas at Arlington at 11
a.m. Tuesday were sparked with deter-
mination, bitterness, and humor.
A Democrat, she publicly endorses the
Democratic Party and said that Preston
Smith's chances for winning his race for
re-election as governor "are better than
50 per cent, "and that Liquor by the
Drink "will pass this time."
Unmarried, the Senator is a resident of
Houston and is chairman of the Commit-,
tee on Urban Affairs. When asked what
qhe considered the most important prob-
lems brought before the committee, she
answered, "housing and employment, in
that order. We find that the State does
not have an effective process for solving
these problems. I would suggest a re-
structuring of current processes within the
present structure."
In other remarks at a press conference
preceding the speech, Senator Jordan
said, "The War on Poverty programs are
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Senator
income transfers with work built in
where a person will always have more if
he works then if he doesn't work."
In her speech, she stated, "We must
somehow narrow the gap between the
'haves' and the 'havenots'. The 'have-
nots' cannot understand why such a rich
country still has 25 million people who
fall in the poverty level." The govern-
ment's determination of a poverty level
family is one that has a yearly income of
less than $3,550 for a family of four with
two adults.
"Last year, the government spent $10
billion on poverty programs, $5 billion of
which was spent on community assist-
ance programs. Only 9 million of the 25
million poverty families in the United
States received any type of public assist-
ance.
"We must understand that there are
people in this country who work 8 hours a
day, 7 days a week, and are STILL poor.
"Texas has more people percentage-
wise who are poor than any other state.
We are also the richest state in the Un-
ion.
"AnD-ands for a new equality or a new
equity is basic and will not be stopped by
the banging of a gavel. It will not be
stopped until it is met."

Miss Jordan also stated that she felt her
greatest problem was the institutional
problem of being black, and that this
problem was more serious than the prob-
lems presented because she is a woman.
A graduate of Boston University and a
lawyer, Senator Jordan said that she felt
the Women's Liberation Movement was
quieter in Texas than in other states.
"There is a general lack of participation
on the part of Black women because they
are having difficulty determining wheth-
er they wish to attain their freedom "as a
wpman or as a Black person. What con-
ti ues to bother me most in the problems
I ace is the continued evidences of racial
pijudices among the Whites."
iss Jordan disagrees with Preston
Sr ith on the issue of raising or lowering
th penalty for first offense possession of
m rijuana. Smith contends that he is in
fa or of raising the penalty on LSD and
rea ining the current penalty for posses-
sir of marijuana.
I think the drug problem is being
mrade into a political issue. I am afraid of
extremists of any sort. I agree with the
L eutenant Governor, who is in favor of
I ring the penalty on first offense pos-
s ssion of marijuega."

Questions on her feelings toward Wom-
en's Liberation were asked several times
during both the press conference and dur-
ing a question and answer period after
her speech. "Women's Liberation is a
misnomer," she said. "It's really a ques-
tion of man's liberation from his old atti-
tudes. Women may be smarter than men.
We won't know until we've had a chance
to THINK," she said during the press
conference
In answer to a question after her speech
in the Ballroom of the UTA student cen-
ter about whether she felt there should be
more women in governmental positions,
she said:
"I suspect women are smarter than
men. That's why I'd like to see more of
them in the Senate It's for sure condi-
tions there couldn't be made any worse
by women!"
In answer to a Blcak student's question:
What can we do when doing things
through the system does not work?, Sena-
tor Jordan said, "Marching, planting
bombs, and other actions of this sort are
not the answer. These things are irrati)n-
al. I suggest a plan be adopted whereby a
coaltion of students work together to find
a rational plan uf sot~inr the problems."

ARLINGTON DAILY NEWS
OCTOBER 21, 1970
(Front Page)

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