WASHINGTON— Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a member of Congress from Texas and a leading voice for racial justice and civil rights, passed away on Friday. During her three decades of service in the House, she championed the rights of the nation’s most marginalized communities, including Black people, people of color, and women. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law was honored to collaborate closely with Congresswoman Jackson Lee on several critical issues, including the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, H.R. 40 – The Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, and the legislation that established Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
The following is a statement from Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:
“The Lawyers’ Committee mourns the passing of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who was one of the greatest champions of civil rights in Congress over the past few decades. After a barrier-breaking career as a lawyer and judge, Congresswoman Jackson Lee became a leader in Congress who, for decades, tirelessly advocated for people too often locked out of opportunity – especially Black people, other people of color, women, and working people. She was a strong and steady hand for her constituents and a partner in the cause of civil rights throughout the years.
We had the privilege of working closely with Congresswoman Jackson Lee and her staff on many critical civil rights issues over the years, most recently police accountability, including the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; H.R. 40, which would establish a national commission to study and offer recommendations regarding reparations for slavery; and the legislation that established Juneteenth as a national holiday. Even in the most intense policy debates, we could always count on her to remain focused on results for the communities she served. It was not hard to tell that she was someone who was truly walking in her purpose.
In addition to Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s legacy of advancing civil rights, we will also remember her as a courageous leader who was always there when we needed her and who felt joy in being in and among the community. Last year, Congresswoman Jackson Lee spoke at an event we sponsored on reparations during the annual Selma Jubilee commemorating Bloody Sunday across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. While planning this event with our colleagues at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, and through our work with Congresswoman Jackson Lee, she was just as comfortable working behind the scenes on strategy and uplifting racial justice and community organizations as she was being out front as a leading spokesperson to bring attention to our issues.
We will remember Congresswoman Jackson Lee not only for her civil rights advocacy and substantial accomplishments, but also for her strength, vision, strategy, tenacity, and moral clarity. May her legacy be remembered and carried forth by generations to come.”
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to mobilize the nation’s leading lawyers as agents for change in the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the Lawyers’ Committee uses legal advocacy to achieve racial justice, fighting inside and outside the courts to ensure that Black people and other people of color have the voice, opportunity, and power to make the promises of our democracy real. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.
