Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who performed a pivotal position in federal efforts to guard girls from home violence and acknowledge Juneteenth as a nationwide vacation, handed away at 74. Lillie Conley, her chief of employees, confirmed that Jackson Lee, who had pancreatic most cancers, died in Houston together with her household by her facet on Friday night time.
A Democrat, Jackson Lee had represented her Houston-based district and the nation’s fourth-largest metropolis since 1995.Regardless of a earlier battle with breast most cancers, she introduced her pancreatic most cancers analysis on June 2, remaining steadfast in her religion and dedication to her duties. Bishop James Dixon, a longtime good friend, described her as a relentless fighter who gave every part she had for the betterment of others.
Jackson Lee’s political journey started when she was elected to the Houston district as soon as represented by Barbara Jordan, the primary Black girl elected to Congress from a Southern state since Reconstruction. In 1995, she was instantly positioned on the high-profile Home Judiciary Committee. She shortly turned identified for her fierce advocacy for ladies and minorities, main efforts on social justice points, from policing reform to reparations for descendants of enslaved folks.
She was instrumental within the first rewrite of the Violence Towards Girls Act in practically a decade, which included protections for Native American, transgender, and immigrant girls. Moreover, she championed the 2021 effort to acknowledge Juneteenth as a federal vacation, marking the emancipation of the final enslaved African Individuals in Galveston, Texas.
Born in Queens, New York, Jackson Lee graduated from Yale and earned her regulation diploma on the College of Virginia. Earlier than her congressional profession, she served as a decide in Houston and was elected to the Houston Metropolis Council in 1989. All through her profession, she was a vocal advocate for homosexual rights and an early opponent of the Iraq Warfare in 2003.
High congressional Democrats praised her dedication and work ethic upon listening to of her passing. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina lauded her as a tenacious advocate for civil rights, whereas Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland highlighted her meticulous method to laws. Former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi counseled her dedication in making Juneteenth a nationwide vacation. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott remembered her as a tireless advocate for Houston.
Jackson Lee constantly gained reelection to Congress with ease, solely going through vital challenges just a few instances. Though she thought of working for Houston’s mayor in 2023, she was defeated in a runoff however continued her congressional duties by securing the Democratic nomination for the 2024 basic election. Throughout her mayoral marketing campaign, she expressed remorse over an unverified audio recording of her berating employees members, emphasizing the significance of treating everybody with dignity and respect.
In 2019, Jackson Lee stepped down from management positions on the Home Judiciary Committee and the Congressional Black Caucus Basis following a lawsuit from a former worker. Regardless of these challenges, her household remembered her as a beloved spouse, sister, mom, anandmother identified affectionately as Bebe.
Sheila Jackson Lee’s political profession spanned practically three many years, throughout which she served as chairwoman of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Safety, and held senior positions on the Judiciary, Homeland Safety, and Finances committees. Her relentless advocacy for social and financial justice, nationwide and homeland safety, vitality independence, and kids’s and dealing households’ rights made her a outstanding determine in Congress.
Sheila Jackson Lee was born on January 12, 1950, in Queens, New York. Her father, Ezra Jackson, was a cartoonist for Marvel within the Forties, and her mom, Ivalita Bennett Jackson, was a vocational nurse. Impressed by the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson Lee pursued larger schooling, transferring from New York College to Yale and later incomes a regulation diploma from the College of Virginia. Marriage introduced her to Houston, the place she labored as a lawyer and decide earlier than getting into politics.
Jackson Lee’s political profession started in 1990 together with her election to Houston’s Metropolis Council. In 1994, she was elected to Congress, the place she served practically 30 years. Her ambition and dedication had been pushed by a need to offer honest alternatives for ladies and minorities. Regardless of her defeat within the Houston mayoral race final yr, she remained a revered and influential determine.
Along with her husband, Elwyn Cornelius Lee, Sheila Jackson Lee is survived by their two youngsters, Jason Cornelius Bennett and Erica Shelwyn, and grandchildren. Her legacy as a devoted public servant and champion for her constituents will proceed to encourage those that consider in freedom, justice, and democracy.
With inputs from companies
A Democrat, Jackson Lee had represented her Houston-based district and the nation’s fourth-largest metropolis since 1995.Regardless of a earlier battle with breast most cancers, she introduced her pancreatic most cancers analysis on June 2, remaining steadfast in her religion and dedication to her duties. Bishop James Dixon, a longtime good friend, described her as a relentless fighter who gave every part she had for the betterment of others.
Jackson Lee’s political journey started when she was elected to the Houston district as soon as represented by Barbara Jordan, the primary Black girl elected to Congress from a Southern state since Reconstruction. In 1995, she was instantly positioned on the high-profile Home Judiciary Committee. She shortly turned identified for her fierce advocacy for ladies and minorities, main efforts on social justice points, from policing reform to reparations for descendants of enslaved folks.
She was instrumental within the first rewrite of the Violence Towards Girls Act in practically a decade, which included protections for Native American, transgender, and immigrant girls. Moreover, she championed the 2021 effort to acknowledge Juneteenth as a federal vacation, marking the emancipation of the final enslaved African Individuals in Galveston, Texas.
Born in Queens, New York, Jackson Lee graduated from Yale and earned her regulation diploma on the College of Virginia. Earlier than her congressional profession, she served as a decide in Houston and was elected to the Houston Metropolis Council in 1989. All through her profession, she was a vocal advocate for homosexual rights and an early opponent of the Iraq Warfare in 2003.
High congressional Democrats praised her dedication and work ethic upon listening to of her passing. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina lauded her as a tenacious advocate for civil rights, whereas Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland highlighted her meticulous method to laws. Former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi counseled her dedication in making Juneteenth a nationwide vacation. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott remembered her as a tireless advocate for Houston.
Jackson Lee constantly gained reelection to Congress with ease, solely going through vital challenges just a few instances. Though she thought of working for Houston’s mayor in 2023, she was defeated in a runoff however continued her congressional duties by securing the Democratic nomination for the 2024 basic election. Throughout her mayoral marketing campaign, she expressed remorse over an unverified audio recording of her berating employees members, emphasizing the significance of treating everybody with dignity and respect.
In 2019, Jackson Lee stepped down from management positions on the Home Judiciary Committee and the Congressional Black Caucus Basis following a lawsuit from a former worker. Regardless of these challenges, her household remembered her as a beloved spouse, sister, mom, anandmother identified affectionately as Bebe.
Sheila Jackson Lee’s political profession spanned practically three many years, throughout which she served as chairwoman of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Safety, and held senior positions on the Judiciary, Homeland Safety, and Finances committees. Her relentless advocacy for social and financial justice, nationwide and homeland safety, vitality independence, and kids’s and dealing households’ rights made her a outstanding determine in Congress.
Sheila Jackson Lee was born on January 12, 1950, in Queens, New York. Her father, Ezra Jackson, was a cartoonist for Marvel within the Forties, and her mom, Ivalita Bennett Jackson, was a vocational nurse. Impressed by the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson Lee pursued larger schooling, transferring from New York College to Yale and later incomes a regulation diploma from the College of Virginia. Marriage introduced her to Houston, the place she labored as a lawyer and decide earlier than getting into politics.
Jackson Lee’s political profession started in 1990 together with her election to Houston’s Metropolis Council. In 1994, she was elected to Congress, the place she served practically 30 years. Her ambition and dedication had been pushed by a need to offer honest alternatives for ladies and minorities. Regardless of her defeat within the Houston mayoral race final yr, she remained a revered and influential determine.
Along with her husband, Elwyn Cornelius Lee, Sheila Jackson Lee is survived by their two youngsters, Jason Cornelius Bennett and Erica Shelwyn, and grandchildren. Her legacy as a devoted public servant and champion for her constituents will proceed to encourage those that consider in freedom, justice, and democracy.
With inputs from companies
