Former chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Jacqueline Berrien has died.
"Jackie’s leadership and passion for ensuring everyone gets a fair chance to succeed in the workplace has changed our country for the better," President Obama said in a statement. 
Berrien spent her career fighting for underrepresented communities through her work at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union.

"At the EEOC, she fought hard every day to make real our nation’s promise of equal opportunity for all," the statement said. "She injected new life into the EEOC with new ideas and strategies that helped refocus the commission on its enduring mission – protecting the most fundamental rights of all Americans. We offer our gratitude for her service, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those who loved her dearly."

(Photo: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)