(Washington) Tributes poured in Saturday for Democratic House Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a staunch advocate for racial justice and minority rights, who died the day before at the age of 74.
A black Democrat from Texas who served in Congress for nearly three decades, she announced last month that she had pancreatic cancer.
“Today, with incredible grief, but also with deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of Representative Sheila Jackson Lee,” her family said in a statement released Friday on X, describing her as “a fierce advocate for the people.”
“She has always chosen truth over power and represented the people of her Houston district with grace and dignity,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement Saturday, calling Mme Jackson Lee as a “prominent figure in our political life.”
PHOTO MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Sheila Jackson Lee
Several other political figures, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren and former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, also paid tribute to him.
The Congressional Black Caucus, which brings together African-American elected officials, hailed her as a “tenor of Congress” and “an ardent defender of social and economic justice, national and internal security, energy independence, as well as children and working families.”
During her tenure, she led some key legislative initiatives, including the drafting of the Violence Against Women Act and the law creating a holiday to celebrate the emancipation of African-American slaves on June 19.
In a statement, former President Bill Clinton said of Mme Jackson Lee called her “one of our country’s most effective leaders” and a “fearless fighter for the people.”
Last year, Sheila Jackson Lee participated in a protest against anti-Asian hate in Houston, bringing several Asian children with her on stage to stand for the slogan “Stop Asian Hate, Stand Up for the American Flag.”