"Barbara Jordan": Quilt Art by Rebekka Seigel

"We are more than a melting pot; we are a kaleidoscope where every turn of history refracts light on the old promise. Do we dare to love each other? Love is such a powerful emotion. Love can really help us to understand evil. Love can help us to overcome all of the bad stuff we do to each other. Do we have it in us to love each other?"

I chose Barbara Jordan as the ninth woman to honor in my paper doll series because of her courage, perseverance and eloquence. She chose a career first in the law because she saw that as a way of making a difference with her life in her community. This path led her in turn to chose politics as a way to address civil rights from the inside as opposed to demonstrating for change from the outside. Her voice and eloquence were legendary and she was able to effect change both in Texas and in the United States house of Representatives.

Both the flags of Texas and the United States form the biggest part of the background for her quilt because she loved both with all her heart and believed that justice was possible under the ideals of the Constitution for everyone. Her outfits refer to the offices she held as well as to highlights in her life made possible by those offices such as being a member of the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate Investigation, being the Keynote Speaker for the 1976 Democratic Convention and campaigning for her favorite Democrats. Some of her beautiful words and ideas are placed in the upper right hand corner of the quilt along with a few descriptions of her grace and power from others who knew her well.