[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 43 (Thursday, March 6, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SAYING GOOD-BYE TO A GIANT

  (Mr. JACKSON of Illinois asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  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.

                          ____________________