Saying Good-Bye to A Giant

Floor Speech

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Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, today we say good-bye to a giant, a leader, a warrior for justice. Today, we mourn the passing of my dear friend and brother in service, Congressman Sylvester Turner.

Mr. Turner was more than a colleague. He was family. He carried the weight of his community on his shoulders, never once complaining, never once backing down from a fight when the people needed him. He walked these Halls not for power, not for prestige, but for purpose. That purpose was clear: to uplift the forgotten and fight for the unseen and to ensure that every child, no matter the ZIP Code they were born in, had a fair shot at success.

His legacy will be defined by his lifelong fight for civil rights, economic justice, and opportunity for all, but perhaps some of his most visionary work was cofounding the Congressional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus that he, Congressman Fields, and I took on together with urgency and purpose.

Sylvester knew that representation wasn't just a box to check, it was the foundation of our democracy itself. He fought to break down barriers, to build pipelines of opportunity, and to ensure that government truly reflected the people it served.

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