NEW YORK, CMC – Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke says she’s “heartbroken” over the dying of her congressional colleague and granddaughter of Jamaican immigrants Sheila Jackson Lee.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee died on Friday after battling pancreatic most cancers. She was 74.
“At this time, with unbelievable grief for our loss but deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Consultant Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas,” mentioned her household in a press release.
“An area, nationwide, and worldwide humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her brave fights for racial justice, legal justice, and human rights, with a particular emphasis on ladies and youngsters,” the assertion added.
Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants and consultant of the ninth Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, advised the Caribbean Media Company (CMC) on Saturday that Jackson Lee was not solely her “pricey colleague” but additionally her “mentor” and “cherished buddy.”
“On behalf of myself, the Clarke Household, and the individuals of the ninth District of New York, I prolong my deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to her family members,” mentioned Clarke, the primary vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). “Sheila devoted her life to the individuals of Houston, Texas, and was a fierce advocate and legislator who at all times rose for the causes and communities near her coronary heart.
“She was a mentor to me, as she was to many others, and a visionary who was relentless in her pursuit of justice,” Clarke added. “Congresswoman Jackson Lee would name out and proper any injustices she perceived.
“Irrespective of the topic of debate, there she stood, within the hole, making sure that her district, and by extension, all of us would profit,” she continued. “Really, she labored with a transformative and singular concentrate on legislating coverage that achieved important progress for the oppressed.
“The granddaughter of Jamaican immigrants, Sheila Jackson Lee, was raised in Queens, New York,” Clarke mentioned. “Via our frequent background and shared beliefs, she and I related on many ranges. I’ll miss my sister’s colleague dearly. And I pray that the gentlelady from Houston will relaxation in energy and peace.”
CBC Chairman Steven Horsford, the son of a Trinidadian immigrant mom who represents Nevada’s 4th District, and CBC members expressed their “deepest unhappiness” over the dying of their colleague.
“We’re holding her husband, Dr. Elwyn Lee, her two youngsters, Jason and Erica, and the complete Lee household in our hearts and prayers throughout this powerful time,” they mentioned in a joint assertion. “Consultant Jackson Lee was a titan and stalwart member of Congress, who served the Houston space and our nation honorably for practically 30 years within the US Congress.”
From the Houston Metropolis Council to the US Congress, Congresswoman Jackson Lee was “a fierce advocate for social and financial justice, nationwide and homeland safety, power independence, and youngsters and dealing households,” the CBC mentioned.
A former CBC Whip and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Basis, CBC mentioned Jackson Lee was “a loyal and lively member of our Caucus who championed many causes, together with racial fairness, and bettering policing and neighborhood security in America – most lately reintroducing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in Might 2024.”
CBC mentioned Jackson Lee left her mark on the US Congress as a former chair and first feminine rating member of the Judiciary Subcommittee for Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Safety and as a senior member of the Home of Representatives Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Safety, and Funds.
Throughout her tenure, CBC mentioned Jackson Lee led many essential legislative initiatives – authoring the Violence In opposition to Girls’s Act and the Juneteenth Nationwide Independence Day Act and introducing the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization, the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act, and the Federal Jail Bureau Nonviolent Offender Aid Act.
“Congresswoman Jackson Lee was a patriot and a fighter to the top,” CBC mentioned. “Phrases can not categorical the loss our Caucus feels for our beloved buddy. She shall be deeply missed by all who knew her.”
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