SEIU’s Verrett: Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee blazed a trail for Southern workers and Black women. We will carry on her fight for working families

WASHINGTON, DC - Service Employees International Union International President April Verrett issued the following statement\ on the passing of Texas Representative Sheila Jackson Lee:

"Today SEIU members and our allies mourn the loss of a great friend, trailblazer and champion for working people, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Throughout her life and career, she did not accept 'no' for an answer when it came to demanding equal rights and opportunities for Black Americans, women, children, immigrants, workers, and the LGBTQIA community. She was a dedicated public servant who made sure to put her district at the forefront. She marched with janitors who were breaking barriers to organize their union and she stood with airport workers when they were fighting for federal protections.

"We will continue to remember the lessons that Representative Jackson Lee taught us about perseverance as she broke barriers in Congress and advocated for social justice by championing substantial legislation as we organize workers across the South. We will be encouraged to stand up for working women on the job and in their communities as Representative Jackson Lee did with the Violence Against Women Act. And we will demand that our nation never forgets our history like Representative Jackson Lee did with her decades long fight to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

"In the years to come, SEIU members will carry on Representative Jackson Lee's fight for working families as we work to build a nation where every person can thrive no matter what color they are, how they identify, where they're from or what they do for a living. "