(Reuters) – U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a powerful progressive voice in the Democratic Party who was outspoken in advocating for African-American and women’s rights, has died, her family announced on Twitter late on Friday.
Jackson Lee of Texas announced last month that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was undergoing treatment. US media reported that she was 74 years old.
“The road ahead will not be easy, but I believe that God will strengthen me,” she said when announcing her diagnosis.
“She was a fierce champion of the people, and her constituents affectionately and simply knew her as ‘Congresswoman’ in recognition of her constant presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years,” her family said in the statement.
She has been active throughout her career in promoting legislation aimed at addressing social justice, economic inequality, and public health issues.
Jackson Lee, who represents parts of Houston, introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to make Juneteenth a federal holiday to commemorate the end of legal slavery for black Americans.
This day in 1865 marks the day a Union general informed a group of slaves in Texas that they had been freed two years earlier under President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a conservative Republican, posted on Twitter that his wife, Cecilia, and I will forever remember Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
“She was a proud Texan and a tireless advocate for the people of Houston,” Abbott said. “Her legacy of public service and dedication to Texas will live on.”
Jackson Lee served on several House committees, including the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget Committees.