Barbara Jordan was a private woman in public spaces. She emerged from the obscurity of Houston's segregated Fifth Ward to become the first African American Congresswoman elected from Texas since Reconstruction and a keynote speaker at two national Democratic conventions. Although her public career began in politics, she soon became known for her ethics, her vision of community, and her passion for education and public service. Jordan challenged the nation to reclaim constitutional ideals, adhere to moral principles, and commit to a pluralism that was dynamic and transformative. In her speeches she emerges as a woman who views public life as an opportunity to share the very best that the human spirit can conceive. This provocative and creative work offers the first comprehensive analysis of Jordan's written speeches, with particular emphasis on the period that begins with the Watergate years and ends with her immigration initiatives. Ethics, public religion, and law are the three themes that predominate in Jordan's speeches. On these themes, Jordan's voice is heard in juxtaposition with contemporaries Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Thurgood Marshall, Rabbi Abraham Heschel, bell hooks, and others.Barbara A. Holmes received her law degree from Mercer University and her religion degree from Vanderbilt University. She is currently Assistant Professor of Ethics and African American Religious Studies at Memphis Theological Seminary

The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. explores the development of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s understanding of the relationship between religion, morality, law, and politics. This fascinating work is part of a broader effort by scholars in various fields to examine unexplored areas in the life, thought, and activism of Martin Luther King, Jr., and it represents the first book length treatment of how King united moral-religious convictions and political activity. This timely study is also the first in-depth analysis of King's views on the roles that religion and morality ought to play, not only in public debate concerning political choices and law, but also in efforts to create political and legal structures that are just and to perpetuate participatory democracy.

Beginning with the social, political, and economic implications of King's vision of the "New South" and his prophetic critique of southern civil religion, this pathbreaking study casts King in the role of "political liberal, " "consummate politician, " and "political theologian." The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. focuses considerable attention on King's refusal to separate religious faith and moral considerations from politics, legal matters, and social reformism. In so doing, it demonstrates King's remarkable ability to transcend church-state boundaries and to formulate an alliance that permeated every facet of American life.

Featuring four chapters by Lewis V. Baldwin -- a leading authority on King -- as well as a chapter by Rufus Burrow, Jr., and one co-authored by Barbara Holmes and the Honorable Susan Holmes Winfield, this volume reveals how King moved beyond southern particularism to create a more democratic Americaand a more inclusive world. Among the topics covered are King's relationship to various American political traditions and figures, King's theories of civil disobedience and his understanding of the Constitution, and the influence of moral law and personal idealism on King's teachings.