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In a moving ceremony held at Fallbrook Church in Houston, Texas, Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Audrey Marks, paid tribute to the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
Ambassador Marks celebrated the life and legacy of this exceptional leader whose roots were deeply intertwined with Jamaican traditions.
In her remarks, Ambassador Marks, invited by the Jackson-Lee family, stressed the significance of the August 1 funeral, which falls on the 190th anniversary of the emancipation of slavery in Jamaica and the British Caribbean. She noted, “It is a most fitting date to commemorate her deep connection to a country that holds a special place in the hearts of more than 3.2 million Jamaican Americans.”
In his address to the Congresswoman’s family, including her children Jason and Erica, Ambassador Marks emphasized that Jackson-Lee was proud of her Jamaican heritage and actively supported Jamaica. The Congresswoman, the granddaughter of Jamaican immigrants, was an icon for the Jamaican diaspora in the United States, embodying cherished Jamaican traits and setting an example for future generations of Jamaican Americans.
Ambassador Marks highlighted Jackson-Lee’s role in the Caribbean diaspora tradition of people who have contributed to social progress while embracing the American Dream. “Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee’s life and work represent an extension of this great tradition,” Marks said, noting that there are currently more than 400 Jamaican Americans involved in representative politics at the federal, state and local levels in the United States.
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Before an audience that included U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and members of the U.S. Congress and Senate, Ambassador Marks praised Jackson-Lee’s advocacy for her Houston district and the broader interests of the United States, while standing firm in support of Jamaica and the Caribbean. She commended the Congresswoman for her advocacy for aid to Jamaica during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and for her role in legislation that designated June as Caribbean American Heritage Month in the United States.
Ambassador Marks described Jackson-Lee’s work as “strong and courageous,” praising her unwavering commitment to justice, her passion for making a difference, and her devotion to her faith and family life. “She is the embodiment of service to others, of defending justice, brotherhood and peace, and of generosity and honest thinking,” Marks declared.
Ambassador Audrey Marks concluded by saying that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s legacy will continue to inspire and uplift future generations, embodying the values cherished by her adopted home and ancestral land.
The ceremony was attended by many dignitaries, including US Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, and numerous members of the US Congress and Senate.
read: Sheila Jackson Lee, granddaughter of Jamaican immigrants, dies
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