VERNON JORDAN: A LIFE LIVED MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Vernon Jordan, civil rights activist and Washington, D.C. power broker, was a man who lived his life in headlines. Former President Clinton called him a “wonderful friend” and, on his passing at age 85 in Washington in early March 2021, tributes flooded in from such luminaries as former President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. By Jodi Bartle

BUT JORDAN’S LIFE WAS ALSO ONE LIVED IN THE MARGINS. Without drawing attention to it, he worked tirelessly to wield his influence and power to enable young Black lawyers to rise up and be given a shot at becoming something more. These were often small gestures, but small gestures from Vernon Jordan were more like those of a giant.

Leslie T. Thornton, retired energy company general counsel, sitting corporate director and author, recalls meeting Jordan for the first time during the presidential transition of ‘92. “I was literally in the volunteer pool, and somebody said to me I needed to find a way to meet Vernon Jordan and that he needed to know who I was. He was like God for young Black lawyers like me.” Thornton was assigned to Jordan as a driver for an appointment at the FBI, but Jordan ended up driving her there himself. “He introduced me to people at the FBI as ‘a diamond hotshot lawyer’ and said they would do well to remember me.” He asked for her resume at the end of the day, which directly led to her employment with the Clinton administration. Thornton credits Jordan’s influence and his long-term support of her as a foundation that impacted her throughout her career. “Anything I did that helped others? A lot of that came from what I learned from Vernon,” she says.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Dr. Wayne Frederick, President of Howard University (Jordan’s alma mater), also remembers Jordan’s mentorship, noting that he leaves behind a legacy of vast and immeasurable impact, “not only because of all the work he did as an individual, but also because of the countless people he mentored and influenced throughout his life.” A true mover and shaker, Jordan is likened by Frederick to a chess player, albeit one who cared just as much for the pieces he moved as the ultimate goals he moved them for. “He never caused people to act by force or guile, but with love and truth. Mr. Jordan treated me like a son and showed me love for reasons that I will never understand but will live the rest of my life trying to deserve. He helped persuade me to become president of Howard University, an institution that he loved and cherished and worked so hard to improve.”

Vernon Eulion Jordan Jr.’s bio reads like a fictional story. He was raised in segregation-era Atlanta to a postal worker father and a catering business-owner mother. He began his civil rights career after graduating from Howard University School of Law in 1960 and was only in his 30s when selected to head the National Urban League, holding that post when he survived an assassination attempt in 1980, nearly dying on the operating table and undergoing six surgeries. Jordan become a lawyer-lobbyist at Akin Gump and went on to serve on more than a dozen corporate and non-profit boards.

Lloyd Johnson, CEO of Chief Legal Executive and founder of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), added his thoughts in appreciation of Jordan. “Without Vernon Jordan, there would be no MCCA. Everybody mentors somebody. When MCCA was launched in 1996, our first event was highly successful because Vernon paved the pathway with all of the key law firms in Washington, D.C., the site of the first dinner. As the founding executive director, through Vernon, I had access to any executive in the Fortune 500. In addition to providing this access, he inspired talking points through stories, humor, and at times, tough love. His grit, wisdom and foresight are woven into the DNA of many people and, more importantly, many organizations.”

Despite this high level of professional and personal achievement, Leslie Thornton remembers Jordan as a humble man. “There are literally countless stories like mine, but Vernon never told people how he helped me. He unselfishly lifted others up. He believed that was his charge.”

Meta’s Strategic Communities Program Manager, Media Partnerships, Michelle Mitchell, remembers Jordan as being “the coolest person in the world, who, even though he was getting older, was still someone who just ‘got it,’ without a wrinkle or a falter. He was funny, he was a storyteller, and he taught me that if you find yourself at the table, then you really ought to be there.” Mitchell says Jordan encouraged her to make the move into tech when she first considered her role at Facebook. “Mr. Jor-

dan helped me see for myself all that is possible, in every space. He pushed me to take risks.”

Robert Williams, Managing Counsel at Walmart, fondly remembers his time spent with Jordan, whom he describes both as “a gentleman” and “a giant of a man.” Explains Williams: “He would often be in the company of Presidents, CEOs and the like, but he always made time for those of us – even at junior attorney level – who were up-and-coming. He was committed to our growth and development. When I worked with him at Akin Gump, every Friday we would have a touch base with him and other senior members within the firm to talk about legal matters but also issues of the day. The impact of those hours and the wisdom he imparted was something we all really cherished.”

Asked why Jordan helped young Black lawyers in this way, Williams answered simply: “Because someone did it for him. Mr. Jordan was in very, very rare company as an African American, and he was dedicated to opening doors for others like him. There will never be another Vernon Jordan, but we should all aspire to pay it forward just as he did.”

AUSTIN, APRIL 9, 2014 — Mark Updegrove, director of the LBJ Presidential Library, with former President Bill Clinton and Vernon Jordan, former adviser to President Clinton, at the Civil Rights Summit. Photo by Lauren Gerson.