Longtime Democratic congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has died at age 74. Lee’s family announced her death in a press release on Friday, saying she was a “fierce champion of the people.”
“Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas,” the family said in a statement, per CNN. “She was affectionately and simply known as ‘Congresswoman’ by her constituents in recognition of her near-ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years.”
The trailblazing congresswoman announced in June that she has pancreatic cancer.
“The road ahead will not be easy,” Lee said at that time, adding that she has “faith that God will strengthen me.”
Lee, who was born in Queens, New York on January 12, 1950, continued to break barriers throughout her life. At Yale University, Lee became one of the first women to graduate from the school. She later served as a municipal judge and a city councilwoman in Houston. In 1994, Lee was elected to represent Texas’ 18th Congressional District.
Lee spoke up for Black people throughout her career. The New York native was particularly determined to pass laws that would hold law enforcement accountable as she fought to protect Black people from police brutality. Lee also played a key role in making sure Juneteenth is recognized as a national holiday.
“We will not stop until the nation knows Black lives matter, and reparations are passed as the most significant civil rights legislation of the 21st century,” Lee said at a march in Washington in 2020, shortly after the death of George Floyd, per CNN.
Lee was serving as a chief deputy whip for House Democrats at the time of her death. She was also a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Chairman Steven Horsford and others members of the Congressional Black Caucus shared their condolences in a statement they released after Lee died.
“Congresswoman Jackson Lee was a patriot and a fighter to the very end. Words cannot express the sense of loss our Caucus feels for our beloved friend. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her,” Lee’s colleagues stated, as CNN reported.
