The Miami-Dade County Community Action and Human Services Department honored County Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan during the May 16 County Commission meeting.
Deputy Mayor Russell Benford commended Jordan for championing the Head Start program over the course of her 34-year career.
Jordan started her career as a teacher for Head Start.
“She’s a public servant who believes that hard work and commitment to others is a way of life,” Benford said. “We want to show her our gratitude for her lifetime of work on behalf of our Head Start children and families.”
Jordan also received a proclamation that declared Tuesday, May 16, 2017 as “the Honorable Barbara J. Jordan day in Miami-Dade County.”
Jordan was teary-eyed as children from the Head Start program sang the national anthem in unison with the audience and presented her with a bouquet of roses.
“Many people think Head Start is a child-care program, but it’s not,” Jordan said. “It’s an educational development program that offers comprehensive services to families. It is the single program that takes families out of poverty.”