A cause of death was not immediately released.
The former president of the National Urban League became prominent as a civil rights activist with close ties in all corners of American politics, although he was closest to Democrats, including presidents from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama. He has also worked with Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush and George W. Bush.
Jordan, born August 15, 1935, studied at DePauw University in Indiana in 1957, studied law at Howard University and began his career fighting segregation, and began a lawsuit against the University of Georgia’s 1961 integration policy. He served as field director for the NAACP and as director of the Southern Regional Council for the Voters’ Education Project before becoming president of the National Urban League.
“Today, the world is losing an influential figure in the fight for civil rights and American politics, Vernon Jordan. An icon for the world and a lifelong friend to the NAACP, and his contribution to moving our society to justice is unparalleled. “” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement on Tuesday. “In 2001, Jordan received the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal for a lifetime of social justice activism. His exemplary life will shine as a guiding light for all who seek truth and justice for all people.”
Jordan’s closest political friendship was with Bill and Hillary Clinton, who advised the then governor of Arkansas during his 1992 presidential campaign and acted as an external adviser to his friend. He remained close to the Clintons for the following decades, endorsing both of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns.
This story is breaking and will be updated.