HOUSTON – A celebration of life service was held Thursday for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
Her funeral was well attended, including leaders from various areas including politics, religion, social justice, criminal justice, Civil Rights, workers’ rights, HBCUs, and SJL’s Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
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Members of Sheila Jackson Lee’s family, including her son and daughter, also gathered to reflect on her life. Below are some of the highlighted remarks and stories shared during her service.
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Jeffries shared stories of his time working with Lee, including one memorable anecdote where he witnessed rapper 50 Cent affectionately refer to her as “Auntie Sheila.” He also recognized the over 50 members of the U.S. House of Representatives in attendance and asked them to stand in honor of the Congresswoman.
“Sheila was like the Michael Jordan of the Congressional Black Caucus,” Jeffries said. “You can’t stop her, and you can’t contain her.”
Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford
At the beginning of his remarks, Horsford asked all members of the Congressional Black Caucus to stand. He briefly told a story about how Lee used to make staffers carry her bag around and noted that she kept her bag so close because it contained some of the work she was proudest of, including the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
“She was a woman of deep conviction,” Horsford said. “She was fearless in the face of challenge and adversity.”
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal
Jayapal commemorated Lee’s legacy as a proud progressive woman of color, including her opposition to the Patriot Act and her efforts to halt US involvement in the Iraq war.
“She knew what was right and she was willing to stand up and push for those ideas no matter the resistance,” Jayapal said.
67th U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Clinton honored Lee’s efforts to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, as well as her push to progress the rights of women across the country.
“Sheila’s legacy lives on in all the women she supported, for whom she blazed a trail,” Clinton said.
42nd U.S. President Bill Clinton
The former president thanked the people of Houston for sending Lee to Congress 15 times. He recalled that before she passed away, Lee privately told him that she felt as if the Houston mayoral race resolved “the way it was supposed to.” He also fondly remembered the first time he met the congresswoman and realized how special she was.
“I could see that she was something different when she showed up... [She was] someone who might bend but never break.”
Reverend Al Sharpton
The civil rights leader and pastor spoke about Lee’s strength and unwillingness to back down. He also encouraged audience members to honor her legacy by continuing to stand up for civil rights.
“We owe it to Sheila not to just mourn, but to in our mourning, be active,” Sharpton said. “Sheila would want you to stand up and fight back, she would want you to be present for the least of these. It’s stand up time.”
Attorney Benjamin Crump
Crump praised Lee for her efforts to get the George Floyd Justice in Policing act passed. He addressed the members of Floyd’s family that were in attendance and asked them to stand. He fondly recalled one conversation he had with Lee where she expressed her unwillingness to back down on the bill.
“She never gave up,” Crump said. “She had that Harriet Tubman spirit.”
Former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner
Turner recalled Lee’s tenacity and spiritual strength, specifically noting her steadfast drive to fight against anyone that stood in her way.
“She wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Turner said. “She would only yield to one person, and that was the Lord Himself when He told her it was her time to come home.”
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo
Hidalgo commemorated the friendship her and Lee shared over the years both of them worked in politics. She recalled once being told that “no one makes friends in politics” and that “if you want a friend, get a cat.” On the contrary, Hidalgo recalled Lee being a good friend to her.
“I can tell you today that I did indeed find a friend in politics,” Hidalgo said. “Her name was Sheila Jackson Lee.”
Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis
Ellis encouraged attendees to honor Lee’s legacy by voting Vice President Kamala Harris into office in November.
“Her path has been completed, but if we don’t elect the first Black and South Asian woman to the White House in November, then we will have disappointed Sheila Jackson Lee.”
Vice President Kamala Harris
The Vice President took the stage to loud cheers, but encouraged audience members to focus their praise on the late Congresswoman rather than her. Harris spoke about Lee’s friendship, as well as her deeply impactful time working as a legislator. But more than anything, she remembered Lee’s boundless passion in everything she did.
“Everything she did, Sheila Jackson Lee worked at with all her heart,” Harris said. “She fought for everybody knowing that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.”