"African Americans History 20th century Biography United States." . . "Black Americans have always relied on the oral tradition--storytelling, preaching, and speechmaking--to assert their rights and preserve and pass on their history and culture. In the pulpit, courtroom, or cotton field, they have understood the power of words, distinctively delivered, to educate and inspire. Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., one of the nation's finest speakers, imbibed this tradition as a young man and has given it his own unique inflection from his work on the civil rights front lines, to the National Urban League, to positions of influence at the highest level of business and politics. A friend and confidant to presidents, Jordan has never forgotten the men and women whose oratorical skill in service to social justice deeply influenced him. Their examples and voices, reflected in Vernon's own, make this book both a history and an embodiment of black speech at its finest.--From publisher description" . "Black Americans have always relied on the oral tradition--storytelling, preaching, and speechmaking--to assert their rights and preserve and pass on their history and culture. In the pulpit, courtroom, or cotton field, they have understood the power of words, distinctively delivered, to educate and inspire. Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., one of the nation's finest speakers, imbibed this tradition as a young man and has given it his own unique inflection from his work on the civil rights front lines, to the National Urban League, to positions of influence at the highest level of business and politics. A friend and confidant to presidents, Jordan has never forgotten the men and women whose oratorical skill in service to social justice deeply influenced him. Their examples and voices, reflected in Vernon's own, make this book both a history and an embodiment of black speech at its finest.--From publisher description." . "Black Americans have always relied on the oral tradition--storytelling, preaching, and speechmaking--to assert their rights and preserve and pass on their history and culture. In the pulpit, courtroom, or cotton field, they have understood the power of words, distinctively delivered, to educate and inspire. Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., one of the nation's finest speakers, imbibed this tradition as a young man and has given it his own unique inflection from his work on the civil rights front lines, to the National Urban League, to positions of influence at the highest level of business and politics. A friend and confidant to presidents, Jordan has never forgotten the men and women whose oratorical skill in service to social justice deeply influenced him. Their examples and voices, reflected in Vernon's own, make this book both a history and an embodiment of black speech at its finest.--From publisher description."@en . . . . . . . "Make it plain standing up and speaking out"@en . "Make it plain standing up and speaking out" . . . . . . . . "Biography" . "Biography"@en . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Make it plain : standing up and speaking out" . "Livres électroniques" . . . "Electronic books"@en . . . . . . . . . . "History" . "History"@en . . "African American orators History United States." . . . . "National Urban League Navy United States Elections Biography Treaties, etc." . . "BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Political." . . "Electronic books." . . "Public speaking Political aspects United States." . . "African Americans History Biography United States." . . "POLITICAL SCIENCE Political Freedom & Security Civil Rights." . . "POLITICAL SCIENCE Political Freedom & Security Human Rights." . . "Vernon E.@Jordan*1935-*" . . "National Urban League Biography." . . "Civil rights movements History 20th century Biography United States." . . "African American lawyers History Biography United States." . . "African American political activists History Biography United States." . .