Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of the late State Representative Raymond Jordan, Jr. Representative Jordan was a good man, a trailblazing man, and a friend and mentor to many. A resident of Springfield and a product of Springfield Public Schools, he went on to become the first African American elected to the Massachusetts State House. Over the course of his career, he chaired the powerful Ways and Means Committee and the Committee on Housing and Urban Development. His indefatigable commitment to equity and justice earned him the enduring yet fitting nickname of ``Barracuda.'' His impact in his local community and in Massachusetts' history and politics is indelible and enduring--in bills, in laws, in buildings, but, most of all, in people. But many of his greatest achievements will live on through the loving family that he built alongside the love of his life, Donna Harris Jordan. Of all his most memorable titles and tasks, he would most want to be remembered as a loving husband and father who fought tirelessly for his community and his people. When I think of the late Raymond Jordan, Jr., I am reminded of the words of the African-American hymn that says: ``May the work I have done speak for me.'' Indeed, the many works of Raymond Jordan speak for him both now and for eternity. May he rest in power and in peace. ____________________”