Vernon Jordan, Civil Rights Activist And Power Broker, Dies At 85
Vernon Jordan, the civil rights lawyer who built a career as a power broker in politics and business, has died at age 85.
Updated at 10:20 a.m. ET
Jordan "passed away peacefully last evening surrounded by loved ones," his daughter, Vickee Jordan, said in a statement sent to NPR. "We appreciate all of the outpouring of love and affection."
A native of Atlanta, Jordan attended DePauw University before earning his law degree at Howard University. Soon after graduating, he devoted himself to ending discrimination against Black Americans in the fight for equal rights. In 1992-93, he chaired President Clinton transition team, and for decades, he remained a friend and advisor to Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Jordan played an important role in desegregating education in the South, particularly at the college level. In the early 1960s, he became the Georgia field director for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and he famously helped escort Charlayne Hunter through a crowd of white protesters at the University of Georgia in 1961.
"An icon to the world and a lifelong friend to the NAACP, his contribution to moving our society toward justice is unparalleled," NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said, noting that his organization had honored Jordan for his lifetime of activism.
"His exemplary life will shine as a guiding light for all that seek truth and justice for all people," Johnson said.
During his long career, Jordan had stints leading both the National Urban League and the United Negro College Fund. He also worked in voter education and was an attorney consultant for the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity.
In the business world, Vernon was sought out to join corporation boards and advisory panels. He was a partner emeritus at the Akin Gump law firm and a senior managing director at Lazard Frères & Co., a financial company in New York.
"We have lost a great man today," said Kim Koopersmith, chairperson of Akin Gump, calling Jordan "a wise and trusted mentor and friend who, in all that he did, inspired us to be the best possible version of ourselves."
"His generosity was boundless, and his guidance was unassailable and delivered with a purposefulness and moral clarity that will never be equaled," Koopersmith said. "In so many respects, Vernon was one of a kind, and his enormous contributions — to our firm, to our country, and to us as individuals — will be greatly missed." [Copyright 2021 NPR]
