No one loved Houston more than Sheila Jackson Lee

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee never missed an opportunity to take the microphone. You knew that once she stood at a podium, you would be there for a while.

In politics, it’s the loudest voices that get heard. So while Jackson Lee, who died Friday at age 74 of pancreatic cancer, was criticized for her brash approach, staying silent wouldn’t have done her or her community any good. She always had something important to say, whether at a funeral, a benefit concert or a speech before Congress.

Nor would it be time-limited. That often frustrated organizers who knew Lee wouldn’t be silenced until she felt her message had been conveyed. Those in the audience, especially those in District 18 of nearly 800,000, knew that, too.

But what we were counting on most was that Jackson Lee would be there for us, for the big things and the small ones.

She was the epitome of a public servant, never too tired or too callous to step up or help. In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, while battling cancer, Jackson Lee partnered with the MacGregor Super Neighborhood to provide food, water and ice to residents who suffered storm damage and days without power. The Riverside Terrace community, which is home to many elderly residents, was one of the last areas to get power back.

During her three decades in the U.S. House of Representatives, she was an unwavering voice for the people. She followed in the footsteps of the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordon and left her own mark as an advocate for racial justice, women’s rights, voting issues and more.

She seemed to love being in the spotlight, but what people didn’t see was the muscles she showed when there were no cameras. The calls, the meetings, the negotiations that moved mountains.

When the Texas Education Agency took over the Houston school district, Lee called for federal intervention, calling the takeover a violation of students’ civil rights. She met with the Environmental Protection Agency about the Union Pacific railroad contamination in Kashmere Gardens, which has ravaged the community with cancer. In March, she secured nearly $40 million for organizations in her district, including to support senior housing and domestic violence programs.

Her methods were sometimes aggressive and some called her mean. But when it came to serving her people, Jackson Lee was never cruel. She never deprived her constituents of the resources they needed, especially in times of crisis.

No one loved Houston as much.