Vice President Kamala Harris celebrated Representative Sheila Jackson Lee as a "fierce champion of justice" at the Texas congresswoman's Homegoing on Thursday in Houston.
One of the most prominent voices for Black and women's rights within the Democratic Party, Jackson Lee announced in June she had pancreatic cancer and was undergoing treatment.
Before she died on July 19th, the 74-year-old activist tweeted her support for then-presidential candidate President Joe Biden one last time.
VP Harris spoke at length about Rep. Jackson Lee's 15 terms serving her constituents while promoting legislation addressing social justice, economic inequality, and public health.
"To know her was to marvel at her mastery of the legislative process," said VP Harris, who has stepped into President Biden's place on the Democratic ticket, fulfilling the first step to the dream Rep. Jackson Lee had to see a Black woman as President.
VP Harris recalled working with the congresswoman on a bill to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday to commemorate the end of the legal enslavement of Black Americans. She spoke lovingly of her "Soror," as they were both members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the historically Black sorority.
The service at Houston's Fallbrook Church included a gospel choir, singers, and tributes from fellow Democrats ranging from Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who knows a little something about being a Democratic woman running for President.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Rep. Jackson Lee was among the first to support the families of Black people killed by police, ranging from Breonna Taylor to Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown.
The Rev. Al Sharpton got in a dig at the VP's political opponent, who was under fire on Thursday for his racist remarks made on Wednesday at the National Association of Black Journalists.
Calling on the audience to follow in Rep Jackson Lee's footsteps in the fight for criminal and racial justice, the Rev intoned: "We will fight every bigot and racist whether they're Black or white or orange."