Honoring Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee
As a community, we are mourning the passing of the beloved civil rights icon and Houston congresswoman, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee.
Rep. Jackson Lee was a loyal proponent of reparations for Black Americans and reparative policies in the United States. Her momentous contributions include, but are not limited to, sponsoring H.R. 40, calling for justice for survivors of the Tulsa Race Masacre, and leading legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Across her long career, Rep. Jackson Lee served as whip of the Congressional Black Caucus, chief deputy whip for House Democrats and a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. She spearheaded the development of several critically important pieces of legislation making a significant impact on the lives of Black people in America.
After the racial reckoning of 2020, Rep. Jackson Lee reintroduced H.R. 40 to congress, which would establish a commission to examine the transatlantic slave trade and its long-term impacts, and develop reparations proposals for African Americans. In 2021, the bill passed out of committee for the first time. Rep. Jackson Lee worked in tandem with many leaders in the reparations space, including (to name a few) the H.R. 40 Strategy Group — Kamm Howard of Reparations United, NAARC’s Dr. Ron Daniels, Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Rep. Barbara Lee, and more.
She was a prominent advocate for the survivors and descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Our movement partner, Justice for Greenwood, recounts how the Congresswoman joined them on the ground to amplify the truth about the Massacre and sat front and center with them in the courtroom. Rep. Jackson Lee was also instrumental in ensuring that survivors could testify before congress calling for long-deserved justice.
In 2021, she was a lead sponsor for legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday. “The potential of having this national holiday opens a whole world of discussion for America, a whole reckoning with racism and the systemic racism that permeates the nation,” said Rep. Jackson Lee. The federal recognition of Juneteenth continues to foster larger conversations about how our society recognizes slavery as well as what more needs to be done in order to foster repair.
Rep. Jackson Lee was also a guiding light and mentor for many of our movement partners and advocates working to make reparations a reality. She generously offered her voice to Color Farm Media’s documentary The Big Payback, highlighting the work of FirstRepair and their efforts to secure reparations in the city of Evanston.
Until her death, Rep. Jackson Lee affirmed our movement’s steadfast commitment to healing and repair: “We will not stop until the nation knows Black lives matter, and reparations are passed as the most significant civil rights legislation of the 21st century.”
It is indisputable that Rep. Jackson Lee made a significant impact on the lives of so many Americans. We are forever grateful to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and will continue to honor her life and legacy through our work and efforts to ensure that reparations become real in our lifetime.
Photo credit: https://houstonlanding.org/congresswoman-sheila-jackson-lee-longtime-champion-of-womens-rights-racial-equality-dies-at-74/
