U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas represented her Houston-based district and the fourth largest city in the nation for 29 years.
Jackson Lee died Friday night surrounded by family after announcing a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on June 2. She previously battled breast cancer. She was 74 years old.
Jackson Lee earned her law degree at UVA and led federal efforts to make Juneteenth a national holiday in the United States, as reported by The Associated Press.
Her Chief of Staff Lillie Conley confirmed Jackson Lee’s death.
“The road ahead will not be easy, but I stand in faith that God will strengthen me,” Jackson Lee said in a statement of her pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
In a statement Saturday, President Joe Biden called Jackson Lee “a towering figure in our politics.”
“Always fearless, she spoke truth to power and represented the power of the people of her district in Houston with dignity and grace.”
Biden said Jackson Lee’s spirit was unbreakable.
“I had the honor of working with her during her nearly 30 years in Congress,” Biden said. “No matter the issue — from delivering racial justice to building an economy for working people — she was unrelenting in her leadership.”
Jackson Lee was considered a dear friend of many years by Vice President Kamala Harris.
“She was relentless—one of our nation’s fiercest, smartest and most strategic leaders in the way she thought about how to make progress happen. There was never a trite or trivial conversation with the Congresswoman. She was always fighting for the people of Houston and the people of America,” Harris said in a statement.
Jackson Lee was born in Queens, New York. Her father was the son of Jamaican immigrants. She graduated Yale, earned a law degree from UVA, was a judge in Houston and then was elected to Houston City Council in 1989. She ran for U.S. Congress in 1994.
Jackson Lee advocated for gay rights early in her political career and opposed the Iraq War of 2003.
She was elected to the Houston district previously represented by Barbara Jordan, the first Black woman elected to Congress from a Southern state since Reconstruction.
Jackson Lee also advocated for women and minorities, led House Democrats on social justice issues and led the first rewrite of the Violence Against Women Act in nearly 10 years. In 2021, she was among lawmakers who led efforts to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Her “relentless determination” for the Juneteenth holiday was noted by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“As a powerful voice in the Congress for our Constitution and human rights, she fought tirelessly to advance fairness, equity and justice for all,” Pelosi said.
Jackson Lee’s family said in a statement that she was a beloved wife, sister, mother and grandmother whom they called Bebe.
“She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice and democracy. God bless you Congresswoman and God bless the United States of America.”
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Jackson Lee a “tireless advocate for the people of Houston.”
“Her legacy of public service and dedication to Texas will live on,” he said.
Support AFP
Share
Rebecca Barnabi
