Progressive Voice and Champion of Rights, Sheila Jackson Lee, Passes Away

U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a renowned progressive advocate for African-American and women's rights, has died at 74. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Jackson Lee served Houston for over 30 years. She championed Juneteenth as a federal holiday, marking the end of Black American enslavement in 1865.

U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a stalwart of progressive values within the Democratic Party, has died at 74. Her family announced the news on social media on Friday evening.

Jackson Lee, representing Texas, revealed last month that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Known affectionately as 'Congresswoman' by her constituents, Jackson Lee was a tireless advocate for African-American and women's rights throughout her three-decade-long career.

Among her numerous contributions, Jackson Lee was instrumental in introducing legislation to make 'Juneteenth' a federal holiday, commemorating the day in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans in Texas learned of their emancipation, two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

(With inputs from agencies.)