Rest In Power, Sheila Jackson Lee

On Friday night, it was announced that beloved Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas had passed away from pancreatic cancer at age 74, after having served almost 25 years in Congress representing the people of Harris County.

Lee fought for human rights, for women, for LGBTQ+ rights, for racial justice, for Medicare For All, for voting rights, against poverty and against hunger, here and around the world. Notably, she also voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iraq in 2002.

It feels only appropriate that one of her last acts on social media was dragging Donald Trump straight to hell for his ridiculous RNC speech.

“I have no idea what Donald Trump was talking about last night,” Lee wrote. “For more than an hour, he rambled and lied. He is unfit for the Presidency! Now, my friends, is the time to focus on beating him and his Project 2025 monstrosity. Enough is enough!”

Damn right it is.

Many of her friends and colleagues had lovely things to say about her, giving us an idea of what she was like not just as a legislator, but as a person.

“The recent news about the passing of our colleague Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is so regrettable and painful,” Said Rep. Maxine Waters. “Sheila Jackson Lee was a true legislator, committed to significant public policy. She spent every day on legislation, amendments, one minutes and five minutes, using every tool available to members of Congress to rewrite the rules and challenge the system. Her time in Congress was truly significant. I am going to miss her, and all our colleagues are going to miss her. Rest in peace Sheila, you have truly earned your place in the annals of history!”

“My last message to my dear sister and friend, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, was to thank her for all she’d done to build up a movement for love & justice in this nation,” wrote anti-poverty activist Rev. William J. Barber III, “we honor her life by continuing her work.”

“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and colleague Sheila Jackson Lee,” wrote Illinois Rep. Chuy Garcia, “She was a tenacious legislator, a tireless advocate for the people of Houston, and a fighter for a more just immigration reform. My thoughts are with her family, friends and constituents.”

“Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was a true freedom fighter who fought with vigor and courage for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, especially for women and children,” wrote Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., whose assassination inspired Jackson Lee to get involved in politics.

“Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee fought every day to make our country a more accepting, just and equitable place for all,” wrote Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky. “She fearlessly led the successful effort to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and worked tirelessly for decades to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.”

“Sheila Jackson Lee may have been short in stature, but she was a towering figure in U.S. politics who improved the lives of millions of Americans in and outside of her beloved Houston,” wrote former NY Rep. Mondaire Jones. “She was a dear friend and mentor in a way that few people in her powerful position cared to be. I will cherish her brilliance on the Judiciary Committee, her humor, and her patience with me as I learned the ropes. ‘Jones,’ she would often begin before advising me. Congresswoman Lee now joins the pantheon of great Americans who gave their lives to public service, and left the world much better than when they found it. May God bless her and her family.”

“My heart is broken over the loss of my amazing friend, mentor, and warrior sister Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. A defender of righteousness and armor bearer for justice,” wrote Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath.

“I’m heartsick by the loss of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,” wrote Sen. Elizabeth Warren. “I’ve known Sheila since I was hired as a young law professor at the University of Houston. She has always been a fighter, a trailblazer, and a friend. Her legacy will live on.”

“Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was a friend and mentor to me, as well as a champion for her community. I will miss her dearly, and so will our entire community. The Congresswoman was never afraid to lend her fearless voice to move mountains not just for her constituents, but for all in Harris County and any place she could make a difference,” wrote Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. “Her strength and stamina were truly never-ending and her determination to rally a chorus to the fuse of justice was unwavering. Just two days ago, my friend smiled as we discussed the progress of hurricane recovery and navigating local politics. Two weeks before that, she worked with me to strategize on how to save a federal transportation investment that came under threat. We will remember her barrier-breaking career, her smarts, her passion, and her ability to weather storm after storm as a strong woman in politics. My condolences go out to her family, her friends, and the community that knows how much she fought for us.”

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Of all the lovely things people said about Jackson Lee, the thing that really struck me was how many people called her a mentor. Because, you know, it’s one thing to fight for these important causes. That doesn’t make you a good person or a kind person. We’ve all met some absolute assholes who have fought on the right side of things — which is always so disappointing. What’s clear here is that Rep. Jackson Lee took the time to help people one-on-one and to lift up others so they could fight, too, which I think says more about her than anything else.

There’s a quote I’ve always loved from 1954’s Salt of the Earth — “Whose neck shall I stand on to make me feel superior? And what will I have out of it? I don’t want anything lower than me. I am low enough already. I want to rise and push everything up as I go,” and the more I read about Rep. Jackson Lee, the more of her I see in that quote, and that, truly, is something to be admired.

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