LDF mourns the loss of Sheila Jackson Lee, U.S. Representative for Texas’s 18th Congressional District, attorney and staunch civil rights advocate

LDF mourns the loss of Sheila Jackson Lee, U.S. Representative for Texas’s 18th Congressional District, attorney and staunch civil rights advocate

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Read a PDF of our statement here.

The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) mourns the loss of Sheila Jackson Lee, U.S. Representative for the 18th state of Texas.e Congressional district attorney and staunch civil rights advocate. With grace, intellect and power, Representative Jackson Lee influenced countless issues of critical importance to the Black community. Representative Jackson Lee died on July 19, 2024.

LDF Chairman and Director-Advisor Janai Nelson issued the following statement:

“Sheila Jackson Lee’s record-breaking tenure in Texas’ 18th Congressional District is just one of countless testaments to her fierce dedication to advocating for Black communities. LDF and its leadership have had the unique privilege and honor of a decades-long relationship with Representative Jackson Lee. She was an LDF grantee, a central figure in LDF’s landmark case Houston Lawyers’ Association v. Attorney General of Texas, and a champion of crucial legislation to protect and advance Black rights across the country, including the CROWN Act and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

The loss of Representative Jackson Lee is a great loss to our Congress, the people of Texas, and our nation. We extend our deepest condolences to the large community of family and friends of Representative Jackson Lee. She has left an indelible mark on the fight for justice in this country and will be deeply missed.

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights organization. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multidisciplinary, collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and conducts innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attribution, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that since 1957, LDF has been wholly separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.