The Jamaican diaspora in the United States have paid tribute to late longtime Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who died on Friday at age 74.
Jackson Lee, whose grandparents were Jamaicans, died from pancreatic cancer a month after publicly disclosing that she was battling the disease and undergoing treatment.
The Democrat had been serving in the House for 15 terms spanning 30 years.
Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, said Jackson Lee was unwavering in her dedication to the people of Texas.
“Sheila was a fierce advocate and legislator, who always rose for the causes and communities close to her heart. She was a mentor to me, as she was to many others, and a visionary who was relentless in her pursuit of justice,” said Clarke.
“Congresswoman Jackson Lee would call out and correct any and all injustices that she perceived. No matter the subject of debate, there she stood, in the gap, making certain that her district, and by extension, all of us would benefit. Truly, she worked with a transformative and singular focus on legislating policy that achieved essential progress for the oppressed,” she added.
Former Broward County legislator Dale Holness said that Jackson Lee lived a life of excellence, no doubt rooted in her Jamaican heritage.
“Her life showed that people of Jamaican heritage dedicate their lives to the ideal of excellence, and I am sure that her Jamaican heritage played a significant part in how she lived her life,” he said.
Holness added that Jackson Lee led the way for the inclusion of all communities, but especially the black community, to partake in the economic life of the United States.
New York State Senator Leroy Comrie, who also has Jamaican roots, said that while he had not personally met Jackson Lee, her work on behalf of the Caribbean community was well known.
The Congressional Black Caucus also paid tribute to the late Congresswoman, describing her as a fierce advocate for social and economic justice.
“Representative Jackson Lee was a titan and stalwart member of Congress, who served the Houston area and our country honourably for nearly 30 years in the US Congress. From the Houston City Council to the US Congress, Congresswoman Jackson Lee was a fierce advocate for social and economic justice, national and homeland security, energy independence, and children and working families,” the caucus said in a statement.
“… Jackson Lee was a devoted and active member of our caucus, who championed many causes, including racial equity and improving policing and community safety in America – most recently reintroducing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in May 2024.”
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was the Democratic Chief Deputy Whip for the U.S. House of Representatives.
She sat on three Congressional Committees — as a senior member of the House Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and the crucial Budget Committee. She was appointed the first female Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
She is the author and lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which established the first new federal holiday in 38 years.
She was also the author and fighter for the passage of the Violence Against Women’s Act—signed by the President for the first time in almost a decade.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s major legislative initiatives include the Sentencing Reform Act, the George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, The RAISE Act, The Fair Chance for Youth Act, the Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage Act, Kaleif’s Law, the American RISING Act.
She has also introduced the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization and Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act, the Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act. She is a champion for women and children, supporting the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and introducing an amendment to funding bills that provides for outreach to minority- and women-owned businesses concerning business opportunities in the commercial space industry, and authored the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Research and Education Act.
She was named by ‘Congressional Quarterly’ as one of the 50 most effective Members of Congress. The ‘U.S. News and World Report named her as one of the ten most influential legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives.
