The late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. will reportedly not lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol. As reported by journalists Abby Phillip and Roland Martin, House Speaker Mike Johnson has reportedly denied the family’s request to lie the late civil rights leader in state, citing precedent for how these affairs are handled.
This week, Jackson, a figure praised by both Republicans and Democrats for his work in politics and social justice, died at 84. Earning tributes around the world from political leaders to celebrities, communities have been grieving the loss of one of the most outspoken civil rights leaders in U.S. history.
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said in a statement on Tuesday. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
Jackson, who ran for president twice and founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, became a prominent political voice. However, sources emphasized to CNN that the decision not to lie him in honor at the US Capitol stems from precedent, not political differences. The act of lying in honor or “lying in state” refers to the action of laying the casket of the deceased in the Capitol’s Rotunda, where the public can come and pay their final respects. Considered to be a rarely granted, honorable public tribute, several prominent figures in Black history have received the honor. In 1998, Officer Jacob Chestnut Jr. became the first Black person to lie in state at the Capitol building. In 2005, Rosa Parks became the first citizen and second Black person to receive the high honor. Through the years, late Black lawmakers like Rep. Elijah Cummings and Rep. John Lewis have received the honor of lying in state.
Though the family’s request for Rev. Jackson to receive the honor was reportedly declined, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition has announced details surrounding services that will be held in his honor across the country. On Feb. 26 and 27, Jackson will lie in state at the PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago. Formal services will also be held in South Carolina and Washington, DC, between March 1 and 5, with a final celebration taking place at the People’s Celebration House of Hope in Chicago on March 6.
