By Jerald Jimenez
21 Jul 2024, 09:35 AM EDT
U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a champion of racial justice and human rights, has died at the age of 74 after battling pancreatic cancer, according to a statement issued by her family.
Jackson Lee, who represented Texas’ 18th Congressional District for nearly 30 years, was a prominent figure in American politics, known for her courageous fight for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women and children.
“It is with incredible sorrow for our loss, but profound gratitude for the life she shared with us, that we announce the passing of U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee,” her family said in a statement. “She will be greatly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice and democracy.”
Born in Queens, New York, Jackson Lee attended Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law. She moved to Houston with her husband Elwyn Lee, a law professor, where she served as a municipal judge from 1987 to 1990. She also served on the Houston City Council before running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994.
Jackson Lee served on several key committees, including the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and the Budget, during her time as a congresswoman. She was the author and lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021, which established the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983.
Jackson Lee also authored legislation to reinstate the Violence Against Women Act, which had expired in 2019.
With information from ABC News