Sheila Jackson Lee: US rep. behind Juneteenth holiday dies

US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a progressive voice in the Democratic Party who was outspoken on Black people and women's rights, has died of pancreatic cancer, her family said in a statement late on Friday.

"Today, with incredible grief for our loss yet deep gratitude for the life she shared with us, we announce the passing of United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas," her family said in a statement posted on X.

"A fierce champion of the people, she was affectionately and simply known as 'Congresswoman' by her constituents in recognition of her near-ubiquitous presence and service to their daily lives for more than 30 years."

"A local, national, and international humanitarian, she was acknowledged worldwide for her courageous fights for racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights, with a special emphasis on women and children."

The woman behind 'Juneteenth'

Jackson Lee was a leading voice in promoting legislation aimed at addressing social justice, economic inequality and public health concerns.

She introduced legislation to the House of Representatives to make June 19 a federal holiday to mark the end of the enslavement of Black Americans. US President Joe Biden signed the bill in 2021 recognizing "Juneteenth" as a federal holiday.

The holiday is a memorial to the day in 1865 when a Union general informed a group of enslaved people in Texas that they had been made free two years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War.

Jackson Lee revealed last month she had pancreatic cancer and was undergoing treatment. The Democrat was 74 and had also previously recovered from breast cancer.

"She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire all who believe in freedom, justice, and democracy," the family statement concluded.

jsi/fb (AP, Reuters)