Civil rights leader, author, lawyer, and presidential advisor Vernon Eulion Jordan passed away on March 1. His life was one of overcoming the grip of segregation to champion the cause for Black people to enter doors that were previously closed. Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1935, Jordan thrived in his educational and athletic pursuits from high school and college. He attended Howard University in Washington, DC, and began his law career. In 1961, the firm he worked for won a lawsuit on behalf of Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter who became the first black students admitted to the University of Georgia.

In 1964 he was selected to be Director for the Southern Regional Council’s (SRC) Voter Education Project.  As Director, Jordan expanded his previous work in voter registration campaigns to eleven states.  An emerging national civil rights figure, Jordan was hand-picked by President Johnson for inclusion in his influential Civil Rights Conference.

In 1980, while at the Urban League he launched the State of Black America Reports, a scholarly annual publication that statistically analyzed social and economic progress among black Americans.

On May 29, 1980, Jordan was shot by a sniper’s bullet while in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  White supremacist Joseph Paul Franklin was charged with the crime.  Pleading not guilty, Franklin was acquitted, but later admitted to the assassination attempt as well as the murder of many other black Americans.  While in the hospital Jordan was visited by President Carter, an event which became the first news story to ever appear on what was then the newly 24 news station CNN. After recovery Jordan went to take a legal position with a prominent DC firm.

In 1992, Jordan was chosen by President-elect Clinton to lead his transition team.  Jordan later served as an advisor for President Clinton, becoming one of his closest friends and political allies.  In 1999, Jordan testified before Congress during President Clinton’s impeachment trial regarding the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Jordan authored two books: his autobiography Vernon Can Read: A Memoir (2001), and Make It Plain: Standing Up and Speaking Out (2008).  His numerous awards included the Alexis de Tocqueville Award in 1977, the Barnard Medal of Distinction in 1983, and the NAACP’s prestigious Spingarn Award in 2001.  He was a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of Sigma Pi Phi fraternity.

After 2000 Jordan served as Senior Managing Director for the investment banking firm Lazard Freres & Co. LLC.  He resided in Washington, D.C. with his family, until his death at his home on March 1, 2021.

Founders of The Collective, Quentin James and Stefanie Brown James, released the following statement:

“Few throughout history have truly embodied the values of justice, honor, dignity, and courage like Vernon Jordan, a trailblazer whose activism spanned generations and bettered countless lives. From his leadership as a field director for the national office of the NAACP, to his tenure as president of the National Urban League, to his storied legal and corporate career, Mr. Jordan was a standard bearer for civil rights and equity in all facets of American society.” 

“As alumni of Howard University and former national NAACP field staff, we have long been inspired by Mr. Jordan’s fearless work and unmatched tenacity. His life will always serve as a model for our own careers as we continue his fight for liberty, justice, and power for the Black community. Mr. Jordan was “Black Excellence” personified and his legacy of truth and service will undoubtedly continue to impact us all for many years to come.”