Shelia Jackson Lee — the Texas congresswoman who spent three years in the workplace fighting for black rights — has died.
His family released a statement saying Lee passed away on Friday, but no explanation for his death was given. They said that while they were mourning his loss, they were grateful for Lee’s life.
In June, Lee announced that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and informed her constituents that she would normally be absent from Congress while receiving medical treatment.
Born in Queens, New York, Lee was a true Democrat who was outspoken on racial issues impacting black people throughout her political career. She eventually moved to Texas to serve on the Houston City Council before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994.
Lee — who represented Texas’ 18th congressional district, which encompasses Houston and the surrounding area — served for the next 30 years in the House. She was chairwoman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, and a member of the Judiciary, Homeland Security and Funds committees.
Additionally, Lee was the primary author of the 2021 laws that established Juneteenth as a federal holiday to celebrate the end of slavery in America.
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The Congressional Black Caucus described Lee as “a fierce advocate for social and financial justice, national and national security, power independence, and young people and working families.”
Lee was 74 years old.
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