Barbara Jordan first African-American to deliver convention keynote address 40 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (July 12 1976)


Video: 'Barbara Jordan 1976 DNC Keynote' (3 videos)

(Monday, July 12, 1976, evening EDT) — Rep. Barbara Jordan electrified delegates tonight of the 1976 Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City with a driving keynote speech warning of the danger of America becoming a “collection of interest groups, each seeking to fulfill private dreams.”

The first African-American to keynote a Democratic convention, Jordan’s address was listed as #5 in American Rhetoric’s Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century (listed by rank).