Courtesy of the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale

Sheila Jackson Lee ’72, the long-serving and influential congresswoman from Texas and member of Yale’s University Council, died on Friday, July 19, from pancreatic cancer. She was 74 years old. 

During her political tenure, Jackson Lee’s legislative successes were extensive. She was known for championing civil rights, gender equality and the rights of prisoners. At Yale, she is remembered not only for her considerable legacy in Congress, but also her dedication to the needs of Black students on campus.

“She was also a proud Yalie whose dedication to public service and community was itself an inspiration, invitation, and message,” Jeania Ree Moore ’12 GRD ’26 wrote to the News. “She left her mark on Capitol Hill, on the nation, and on us.”

Born in Queens, New York, Jackson Lee earned her undergraduate degree in political science from Yale in 1972, making her among the first women to earn a degree from Yale College. At Yale, Jackson Lee met her husband Elwyn Lee ’71 LAW ’75, who survives her. 

Jackson Lee went on to earn a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia in 1975, before moving to Texas when her husband accepted a position at the University of Houston. Jackson Lee was a Texas Municipal Judge from 1987-90 and then served on the Houston City Council. 

In 1995, Jackson Lee was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Texas’ 18th district, which includes much of inner-city Houston.

In 2022, Jackson Lee was the recipient of the Afro-American Cultural Center’s Lifetime Achievement award at its 50th anniversary celebrations, or AFAM50. 

In a statement released by the Afro-American Cultural Center, Dean Timeica Bethel ’11 wrote that Jackson Lee was a “seminal figure” in Yale’s Black community whose impact was “immeasurable” and that she inspired “decades of Yalies through her leadership and service.”

Jackson Lee delivered a speech at the AFAM50 gala where she received the award.

“All who were present will remember Rep. Jackson Lee speaking with pride and conviction about the importance of civic engagement and standing up for what you believe in, even if it means standing alone,” Bethel wrote in the statement. 

In Congress, Jackson Lee pushed for critical legislation, and was the author and lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which established Juneteenth as the first new federal holiday in 38 years in 2021. 

Also in 2021, Jackson Lee sponsored H.R.40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. The bill would establish a commission to “examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies,” per the bill’s summary. 

She spearheaded the 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which expanded protections for Native American, transgender and immigrant women. 

In May of this year, Jackson Lee reintroduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The bill was first introduced in 2020 and passed the then-Democrat majority House, before stalling in the Senate. If enacted, the legislation would — through a wide range of reforms — strive to increase accountability for police officers and combat racial profiling by the police force. 

“She spent her life advocating not only for Black Yale but for the entire Black community. She was undaunted, determined, committed, outspoken and real about the need to right historical wrongs in this county and ensure equity and a bright future for Black people in the United States,” said Sheryl Carter Negash ’82, a co-chair of AFAM50 who helped select Jackson Lee as the Lifetime Achievement Awardee. 

Carter Negash added that “despite being incredibly busy in Congress,” Jackson Lee was here “whenever Black Yale needed her” and was “willing and quick to respond to our call.”

Carter Negash noted Jackson Lee’s service as an honorary co-chair for the 50th anniversary of the Af-Am House, when she found the time to attend planning meetings for the celebration and “offer invaluable support that helped to make the event a great success.” 

Carter Negash added that Jackson Lee also “graciously accepted” an invitation to speak at “Global Models for Questions of Reparations,” an event in 2021 sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Center. 

“She provided historical context and profound insight regarding repair of harm resulting from the enslavement of Black people in America,” said Carter Negash. “As most people know, her political savvy and commitment to the importance and inevitability of reparations helped to move H.R.40 out of committee and closer to being codified into law.”

Jackson Lee also served on the University Council, the only general volunteer leadership advisory body appointed by the Yale Corporation and highest presidential advisory body, where she and other members advised the Yale President’s office on a broad range of issues, including policies surrounding free expression. 

Former University President Peter Salovey wrote to the News that the congresswoman was a “valued member of the University Council” and “a devoted supporter of education.”

“Her immense contributions to the nation, her courage, and her vision will be remembered and will inspire those who come after her at Yale for generations to come,” he said. 

Moore wrote that meeting Jackson Lee at the AFAM50 celebration “was a highlight and memory [she] treasure[s].”

Moore, who worked on Capitol Hill in Washington doing faith-based legislative advocacy, said that she views Jackson Lee as a “leader and a fighter” in the political sphere. 

Carter Negash told the News that in her last conversation with Jackson Lee, the congresswoman encouraged Carter Negash “to continue to serve as an advocate for the [Af-Am] House and for Black Yale” and “said she would be there to support us whenever we needed her.” 

“I intend to honor her memory by doing just what she told me to do, following in her footsteps as a person on a mission to make the world better,” she wrote. “While Sheila may no longer be with us physically, the example of her determination will forever serve as the wind beneath our wings as we seek to help Yale and America be the best that they can be.”

The Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale was founded in 1969.