ATLANTA – Vernon Jordan, who rose from humble beginnings in the secluded south to become a champion of civil rights before reinforcing himself as a Washington insider and corporate influencer, died, according to a statement from his daughter is. He was 85.
Jordan’s daughter, Vicky Jordan Adams, released a statement to CBS News on Tuesday.
“My father died last night around 10p, who loved his wife and daughter by his side.”
After a stint as area secretary for the Georgia NAACP and as executive director of the United Negro College Fund, he became the face of Black America’s modern struggle for jobs and justice for more than a decade. He was nearly killed by a racist bullet in 1980 before a change in business and politics.
His friendship with Bill Clinton took both of them to the White House. Jordan, an unofficial Clinton aide, drew him into controversy during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Leave a Reply