Texas Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee passed away at the age of 74 Friday night, July 19, 2024. The cause of death was not made public right away, however, Jackson Lee disclosed last month that she had recently received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
When I first moved to Texas, the name Sheila Jackson Lee became synonymous with Houston just as much as DJ Screw and Hakeem Olajuwon, radiating H-Town pride with every step, and every breath. One Sunday afternoon, my mom and I walked into “This Is It”, a soul food restaurant known for its pivotal role in the film “Jason’s Lyric” but also a landmark in Houston’s beloved Fourth ward. As I waited on my fried chicken plate, laced with greens and mac and cheese, Sheila Jackson Lee casually walked in, with a warm, familiar, and intentional greeting, “Good afternoon y’all. Y’all registered to vote?”. “Yes ma’am,” we all responded as she walked directly behind the counter as if she worked there. Truth is, she did work there. Because the community, was her cubicle. Although born and raised in Queens, New York, Lee dedicated her life’s work to representing the community of Houston’s 18th Congressional District in Texas, and becoming a force to reckon with in Washington D.C.
Sheila Jackson Lee began her career by earning a scholarship specifically designed for African Americans enrolled at New York University, before transferring to Yale University, where she received her B.A. in political science, graduating with honors from the school’s first graduating class that allowed female students. She then went on to attend the University of Virginia Law School where she received her Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) and would go on to earn a reputation as one America’s fiercest fighters for justice and equality across the board.
Congresswoman Lee was named the Democratic Chief Deputy Whip for the U.S. House of Representatives, and she undeniably fulfilled the expectations of her title. Whips are considered the party’s “enforcers”. Their role is to work to ensure that their fellow political party legislators attend voting sessions and vote according to their party’s official policy.
Lee was a senior member of the House Committees on the Judiciary and sat on two other Congressional Committees including the Budget Committee and Homeland Security. She was appointed the first female Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, and she was also the author and lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which established the first new federal holiday in 38 years.
Throughout her career she would go on to introduce and successfully pass several monumental legislative contributions such as the Violence Against Women’s Act, The George Floyd Law, the Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, the American RISING Act, the Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage Act, the RAISE Act, the Fair Chance for Youth Act, the Sentencing Reform Act, the Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act, the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization, and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act. She also she backed the Paycheck Fairness Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, as well as authored the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Research and Education Act, while introducing an amendment to funding bills that calls for outreach to minority-owned businesses regarding opportunities in the commercial space industry.
She was listed as one of the ten most powerful lawmakers in the US House of Representatives and among the top 50 most productive members of Congress. She was the chair of the Congressional Children’s Caucus and the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, as well as their creator. Additionally, she co-chaired the Congressional Black Caucus Energy Braintrust and served as the chair of the Justice Reform Task Force.
She is survived by her husband Dr. Elwyn Lee, a fellow Yale Graduate and an Administrator at the University of Houston, her two children, Jason Lee a graduate of Harvard University, Erica Lee, a graduate of Duke University and a Member of the Harris County School Board, granddaughter Ellison Bennett Carter and grandson Roy Lee Carter, III.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee will forever be admired and remembered for her commitment not just to the 18th congressional district of Texas, but for her dedication to establishing herself as an essential part of the fabric of the United States and a beacon of judicial progress.
Her stature may have been small, but her impact was extraordinary.
Memorial services were held at 11am on August 1st at Fallbrook Church in Houston, Texas. Notable figures who attended were Bill Clinton, Al Sharpton, singers Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams, with a eulogy to be delivered by Vice President and Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris.
