Sheila Jackson Lee, a former Texas congresswoman, was a passionate advocate for Black Tulsans during her time in Washington, despite holding a seat representing Houston.
Jackson Lee, 74, passed away over the weekend after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Since 1995, she has represented the Houston area in the U.S. Capitol.
While she is widely recognized for her leadership in making Juneteenth a federal holiday, Jackson Lee also championed awareness of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. She advocated for reparations for the remaining survivors, supported the effort to declare Greenwood Avenue a national monument, and called for education reforms to ensure the massacre was taught more widely.
