The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee's Obituary
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Warm Regards,
In loving memory of the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee
Sheila Jackson Lee was born January 12, 1950 in Jamaica Queens, New York to Ezra Clyde Jackson and Ivalita Bennett Jackson. She was raised in a working-class neighborhood where her parents, neither of which attended college, instilled in her a strong faith and love of education. She attended Jamaica High School and would have ended up in a secretarial career had Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. not tragically been assassinated. In the aftermath, she was offered a scholarship in his honor to matriculate to a local New York College. In 1969 she accepted an invitation to transfer to Yale University with other courageous undergraduate female students becoming the first class of undergraduate women at Yale. She graduated with a B.A. in Political Science with honors in 1972 and earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1975.
Known as “The Congresswoman,” she distinguished herself as a staunch defender of the Constitution, Civil Rights and African American interests. Before her election to Congress, she served two terms as one of the first Black female At-Large members of the Houston City Council. Prior to Council, she was an Associate Municipal Court Judge for the City of Houston. She is a veteran of both corporate and private law practice.
Sworn-in to Congress in 1995, she immediately made an impact as a member of the House Committee on the Judiciary where she served on the subcommittees on Crime and Immigration and Claims. She was the first woman to be the Ranking Member of the Immigration and Claims Subcommittee. She served on the Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics and Foreign Affairs.
Jackson Lee was a dedicated member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the CBC Foundation and an active member of the Progressive Caucus. She founded and chaired the Congressional Children's Caucus which continues to advocate on behalf of children nationwide. She also founded the Pakistani Caucus in the wake of “9/11” to bring attention to human rights. Because of her successful efforts to steer millions of dollars for disaster relief in Pakistan, she is regarded as a national hero in that country.
As a strong proponent of civil rights, justice, and equality Jackson Lee has introduced and tenaciously supported numerous significant legislative bills such as H.R.-40 Commission to Study Reparations and Develop Proposals for African Americans Act, The George Floyd Justice and Policing Act that aims to address police misconduct and improve law enforcement practices, and The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that would protect the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Her leadership is credited with reauthorizing the Violence Against Women’s Act.
In addition, she was able to send hundreds of millions of dollars to the City of Houston and the 18th Congressional District that would fund advancement and progress in the areas of economic advancement, education, law enforcement, healthcare, transportation, and disaster recovery. In 2020 she led a successful bipartisan effort that established a Commission to study the historic significance of the Emancipation Trail. If the results of the study reveal the historic significance of the 1865 trek of newly freed slaves from Galveston to Houston and beyond the trail could become the second national historic trail honoring Black Americans in the United States which would lead to its development as a tourist attraction that would spur economic activity.
Jackson Lee was a frequent guest on network and cable news outlets including ABC “World News Tonight”, CBS “Face the Nation”, CNN and MSNBC. She received many recognitions including: being hailed by Ebony Magazine as one of the "100 Most Fascinating Black Women." named in "Congressional Quarterly" as one of the 50 most effective Members of Congress; and in "U.S. News and World Report" as one of the ten most influential legislators in the House of Representatives. The Houston Chronicle named her as one of the most influential and prolific legislators on Capitol Hill.
Although she had a tremendous global impact and dined with royalty, the residents of Houston were always in her heart and her top priority. You could find her celebrating community milestones, speaking at high school or college graduations, attending faith-filled services, riding in parades, serving through her annual “Toys for Kids” celebration, Thanksgiving meal distributions, numerous disaster relief and Covid supply distribution sites where she distributed much needed supplies and community support.
Jackson Lee made her earthly transition on Friday, July 19, 2024 and to cherish her legacy and so many special memories, she leaves her beloved family, her husband of 51 years, Dr. Elwyn C. Lee; daughter, Erica Lee Carter (Roy); son, Jason C.B. Lee; grandchildren, Ellison Carter and Roy Lee Carter, III; brother Michael C. Jackson (Shelley), nephews and nieces and a host of family, extended families, residents of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, as well as the citizens of the City of Houston and the world-at-large.
More information at www.sheilajacksonlee.com
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