Congressman Sylvester Turner (1954–2025) was a Houston attorney, Texas legislator, mayor, and U.S. representative. A native of the Acres Homes community in northwest Houston and high school valedictorian, he earned degrees from the University of Houston and Harvard Law School. He served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1989 to 2016, holding key leadership roles including speaker pro tem. After two unsuccessful mayoral bids, he was elected Houston's mayor in 2015 and reelected in 2019, leading the city through Hurricane Harvey, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a major pension reform. Following the death of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, he won her congressional seat in 2024, serving on the Homeland Security and Science, Space, and Technology committees until his death in March 2025.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (1950-2024) represented Texas’s 18th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2024. A respected and influential leader, she was recognized by Congressional Quarterly as one of the 50 most effective Members of Congress. Born in Queens, New York, she earned a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Before serving nearly three decades in Congress, Jackson Lee was one of the first African American women elected at-large to the Houston City Council and served as an associate municipal court judge. Throughout her career, she championed civil rights, public safety, children’s welfare, and issues critical to the Houston community. Representative Jackson Lee passed away on July 19, 2024, at the age of 74.

Albert Edwards (1937–2020) was a Houston native, state legislator, minister, and political leader. The sixth of sixteen children, he attended Wheatley High School and Texas Southern University, later earning a Physical Therapy Certification from Tuskegee Institute and a Doctor of Divinity from World Bible Christian University. An ordained minister, he was a member of Progressive New Hope Baptist Church for over 60 years. Edwards served 26 years in the Texas State Legislature, representing Houston's District 146, where he is notably credited with initiating the 1979 legislation recognizing Juneteenth as an official day in Texas. He also served on the Democratic National Committee, including six years as National Chairman of the DNC Black Caucus.

Beulah Ann Shepard (1921–2010) was a political icon and community activist from Plain Dealing, Louisiana, who became a cornerstone of Houston's Acres Homes community. Largely self-taught, she moved to Acres Homes in 1948 and never left. Her political awakening came as a volunteer on Lyndon B. Johnson's 1948 Senate campaign, launching over fifty years of Democratic activism, voter registration drives, and community advocacy. Known as the unofficial "Mayor of Acres Homes," she served as a constituent liaison for Harris County Precinct 4 and was instrumental in securing a swimming pool, library, improved roads, parks, and a police station for the underserved community. She met presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, and Clinton, and earned the respect of local and national politicians who sought her endorsement. Shepard was honored by the Congressional Black Caucus in 1987 and received the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats' "Texas Living Legend Award" that same year.

Allen R. Parker Sr. (1941-2022) was a former city and state official who was active in the Acres Homes community. Parker was the assistant deputy director of the City of Houston's Department of Planning & Development and retired in 2008. Earlier in his career, he was a labor leader with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 15 Union, which led to his appointment by Gov. Mark White as commissioner with the Texas Department of Labor and Standards. He was a longtime member of St. Monica in Acres Homes and instrumental in the development of the church’s food pantry, which provides food for over 150 families each week.

Ruby Mosley (1929–2020) was a beloved community activist, educator, and advocate known as the “Mayor of Acres Homes.” For decades, she championed improvements in Houston’s underserved communities, serving in leadership roles with numerous civic organizations and advocating for essential services, seniors, and families. A retired community services supervisor and lifelong servant leader, Mosley’s dedication, compassion, and tireless activism left a lasting impact on Houston and generations of residents she inspired.