House Speaker Mike Johnson, R La., has denied a request to allow the late Rev. Jesse Jackson to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda following the civil rights leader’s death at age 84. Jackson’s family initially requested the honor after he died this week following a lengthy illness, according to The Hill.
“The Speaker considered past precedent of mostly reserving the practice for former presidents and select former government officials and military honorees,” the outlet reported. Jackson is expected to be memorialized in Chicago in the coming weeks, according to his family.
The longtime civil rights activist and former presidential candidate died Tuesday after being hospitalized in November as he battled progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disorder.
The decision about who lies in state or in honor at the Capitol is made with the concurrence of both the House and Senate leadership.
There is no formal rule governing eligibility, but the practice has historically been reserved primarily for former presidents, members of Congress and certain military leaders.
The most recent individual to lie in state at the Capitol was former President Jimmy Carter. In past years, other prominent Americans have been granted the honor. Evangelist Billy Graham lay in honor in the Rotunda in 2018. Civil rights icon Rosa Parks also lay in honor in 2005.
In 2020, Rep. John Lewis, D Ga., became the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. A ceremony honoring his legacy was held outside on the Capitol steps because of pandemic restrictions at the time.
According to Newsmax, requests were also made and denied in recent years for other public figures to lie in state, including Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Jackson rose to national prominence as a close associate of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and later became a two-time Democratic presidential candidate.
He founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and remained active in political and social advocacy for decades.
President Donald Trump reflected on Jackson’s life following news of his death. In a social media post, Trump said he knew Jackson long before becoming president.
“He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’ He was very gregarious – Someone who truly loved people!” Trump wrote. “Despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left, Democrats ALL, it was always my pleasure to help Jesse along the way.”
Trump also wrote that Jackson “was a force of nature like few others before him” and said he had much to do with the election of former President Barack Hussein Obama, “a man who Jesse could not stand.”
He concluded the post by offering condolences to Jackson’s family. “He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!” Trump wrote. “President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Jackson’s family has not publicly commented on the denial beyond confirming plans for memorial services in Chicago.
Jackson passed away Tuesday morning at his home, surrounded by family, according to a family statement. He had been a prominent voice in the civil rights movement for more than five decades and was widely recognized for his advocacy on racial and economic justice.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of civil rights leader and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Honorable Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family,” the statement said, per Fox News.
“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. “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.”
