Credits: The Texas Tribune
Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a eulogy for U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee at a North Houston church on Thursday, marking the culmination of days of memorials for the influential Democratic lawmaker.
Harris, who is anticipated to be the first Black woman to be a major party’s presidential candidate, will honor Jackson Lee, who became one of Congress’ most prominent Black women during nearly three decades representing her Texas district. Jackson Lee played a crucial role in federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and in recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Jackson Lee passed away on July 19 at the age of 74, after battling pancreatic cancer. In a statement following her death, Harris described her as “one of our nation’s fiercest, smartest, and most strategic leaders in the way she thought about how to make progress happen.”
Memorial services for Jackson Lee began on Monday, with hundreds of mourners paying their respects as her body lay in state in a flag-draped coffin inside Houston’s City Hall. President Joe Biden was among the visitors, placing a bouquet of flowers near her casket and consoling Jackson Lee’s family.
Further viewings were held on Tuesday and Wednesday at different churches, allowing more people to honor her legacy.
Jackson Lee had represented her Houston-based district and the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1995. She previously overcame breast cancer and announced her pancreatic cancer diagnosis on June 2.
Before her congressional career, Jackson Lee served on Houston’s city council from 1990 to 1994. After being elected to Congress, she quickly established herself as a staunch advocate for women and minorities and became a leading voice for House Democrats on numerous social justice issues, from policing reform to reparations for descendants of enslaved people. She spearheaded the first major update to the Violence Against Women Act in nearly a decade, expanding protections for Native American, transgender, and immigrant women.
Jackson Lee was consistently reelected to Congress with ease and made an unsuccessful bid for Houston’s mayor last year.