The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) mourns the loss of Sheila Jackson Lee, U.S. Representative for Texas’ 18th Congressional district, lawyer, and staunch civil rights advocate. Through her visionary leadership as a public servant, Representative Jackson Lee dedicated herself selflessly to advancing civil rights with grace, intellect, and power. During her impressive 29-year tenure as a Congresswoman, she worked to address countless issues of critical importance to the Black community, including in collaboration with LDF. Representative Jackson Lee passed away on July 19, 2024, at 74 years old.
“Sheila Jackson Lee’s record tenure serving the 18th Congressional District of Texas is but one of countless testaments to her fierce dedication to advocating for Black communities,” said LDF President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson upon hearing the sad news. “LDF and its leadership have had the distinct privilege and honor of enjoying a decades-long relationship with Representative Jackson Lee. She was a LDF scholarship recipient, a central figure in LDF’s landmark case Houston Lawyers’ Association v. Attorney General of Texas, and a champion of critical legislation to protect and advance the rights of Black people nationwide, including the CROWN Act and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
“The loss of Representative Jackson Lee is a profound one for our U.S. Congress, the people of Texas, and for our nation. We send our deepest condolences to Representative Jackson Lee’s vast community of family and friends. She has left an indelible mark in the fight for justice in this country and will be sorely missed.”
Sheila Jackson Lee was born on January 12, 1950 in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York to mother Ivalita Bennet Jackson, a nurse, and father Ezra Clyde Jackson, the son of Jamaican immigrants and a day laborer and comic book artist for Marvel. The oldest of two siblings, Sheila Jackson Lee developed a passion and interest in education and issues of civil rights at an early age. Attending Jamaica High School, she was offered a secretarial position under Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to support his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement before the tragic assassination on his life. Instead, she earned a scholarship in Dr. King’s honor to enroll at a local college in New York. A year later, she transferred to Yale University, where she became a member of the institution’s first co-ed undergraduate class. She graduated with her B.A. in Political Science with honors in 1972.
Sheila Jackson Lee would go on to earn her Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1975. She was awarded a scholarship from LDF in pursuing her law studies. In 1978, she settled in Houston with her husband, Dr. Elwyn Lee, whom she met while attending Yale and began working in the private law sector.
Sheila Jackson Lee began her career in public service as a municipal judge in Houston in 1987. Two years later, she was elected to Houston City Council. During her tenure there, she built a stellar reputation for her strong work ethic and untiring advocacy for those in need. She advocated in support of the unhoused community and victims of domestic violence, working with councilmembers to advance legislation for issues such as affordable housing. She served two terms as an at-large member of the Council, one of the first Black women to do so.
In 1991, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee served as a central figure in LDF’s landmark case Houston Lawyers’ Association v. Attorney General of Texas, in which the Supreme Court held that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act applies to judicial elections.
In 1995, she successfully ran in her first election as Representative for the 18th Congressional District in Texas. She would go on to serve as a Congresswoman over a nearly three-decade tenure.
Through her steadfast commitment to public service, civil and human rights, and issues affecting the Black community, Representative Jackson Lee made a tremendous impact in Texas and across the nation. An influential and powerful voice in Washington, Representative Jackson Lee fought tirelessly to advocate for key legislation to advance and improve the lives of communities facing oppression and hardship. She immediately distinguished herself as a voice for those without a voice and an ardent defender of the constitutional rights of all Americans.
During her tenure, Representative Jackson Lee introduced and supported various significant bills to Congress, including the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to address police misconduct and increase law enforcement accountability; the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) to enhance and preserve the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and the H.R.-40 Commission to Study Reparations and Develop Proposals for African Americans Act. Other bills she introduced include the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization, Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act, and H.R. 71, the Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act. She consistently fought for criminal justice reform, sponsoring legislation including the Sentencing Reform Act, Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, The RAISE Act, The Fair Chance for Youth Act, Kalief’s Law, and the American RISING Act of 2015. Her bill H.R. 4660, an Amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, affirmed the authority of the Attorney General to reduce prison overcrowding by developing and implementing lawful policies relating to requests for executive clemency from deserving petitioners.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee was a steadfast champion for women and children, supporting the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and introducing an amendment to H.R. 2262 that provided for outreach to minority- and women-owned businesses with respect to business opportunities in the commercial space industry. Her leadership is credited with reauthorizing the Violence Against Women’s Act.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee was a Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Maritime and Border Security, wherein she co-authored HR 1417, a bipartisan bill which has been touted as the best vehicle for accomplishing comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congresswoman Lee was also the past Chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, which, under her leadership, passed the Transportation Security Act of 2007, increasing funding for America’s transportation security.
Representative Jackson Lee was a proud supporter of the CROWN Act to address and protect against natural hair discrimination in schools, workplaces, and public housing; and the author and lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act establishing Juneteenth, a day commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people, as a federal holiday.
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee is survived by her husband of 51 years, Dr. Elwyn Lee; daughter, Erica Lee Carter; son, Jason C.B. Lee; brother, Michael C. Jackson; and a host of grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and other loved ones. Her memory is cherished by her constituents in the 18th Congressional District of Texas, in Houston, and across the nation and world.
Leaving behind an undoubtedly powerful legacy, Representative Jackson Lee will always be remembered for her invaluable and selfless dedication in the fight to advance equality and justice for all. Through her principled leadership, indefatigable determination, and courageous spirit in advocating for those in need, Representative Jackson Lee left a transformative mark on our society that will be felt for generations to come—and will continue to inspire us to do the same.
