Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. to Lie in State in South Carolina After Capitol Hill Dispute

By Ashlee Banks, Special to the AFRO, The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint, March 2, 2026

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., the civil rights titan and two-time presidential candidate who rose from the Jim Crow era to the heights of American political influence, will return to his native South Carolina on March 2. Jackson will lie in state at the State House Rotunda in Columbia, S.C.

The homecoming, announced by Gov. Henry McMaster, follows a week of national mourning and a sharp dispute in Washington, D.C., where supporters originally sought to have Jackson lie in state on Capitol Hill. 

Jackson died on Feb. 17 at the age of 84, following a years-long battle with a rare neurological disorder. In a gesture of state-level tribute, Gov. McMaster ordered all flags at the South Carolina State House to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on March 2.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. will return to his native South Carolina to lie in state at the State House on March 2. Shown here, Jackson, at Game 1 of basketball’s NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, May 31, 2018. Credit: AP Photo File /Marcio Jose Sanchez

In an interview with the AFRO on March 1, South Carolina State Representative Grant Hamilton (D-SC- District 79) stated that it was a “collaborative effort” to get approval for Jackson to lie in state at the South Carolina State House Rotunda.

“Early that morning when we received word that Reverend Jackson passed, I reached out to the governor’s office. I was going to request that we fly the flag at half staff,” said Grant.

“They told me that they were on top of it and were just waiting to hear from the family on when the memorial or funeral service would be because that’s when the governor had planned on doing it,” he added. “Initially, the only events were going to be in Chicago. With some conversations, they found it appropriate and gracious enough to bring Reverend Jackson back home to South Carolina one last time.”

The decision to honor Rev. Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina gained momentum after Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (D-La.-4) denied a request from the Jackson family for the civil rights leader to lie in honor at the United States Capitol. 

Speaker Johnson’s office cited “past precedent,” stating that the U.S. Capitol Rotunda is generally reserved for select military and government officials. While figures such as Rosa Parks and the Rev. Billy Graham have been granted the honor in the past, the Speaker’s office noted that similar requests for former Vice President Dick Cheney and the activist Charlie Kirk were also recently declined.

The rejection drew sharp rebukes from Democratic leaders. 

Representative Grant told the AFRO that he was not “surprised” Speaker Johnson rejected the request to honor Jackson at the U.S. Capitol Building.

“This administration disrespects American heroes everyday. While we would hope that a figure like Jesse Jackson would have the honor bestowed upon him of lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda of the most powerful house in the country, I’m not surprised that they said ‘no’ and rejected it,” said the state representative. “When Washington D.C. closed its doors to an American hero, South Carolina opened its doors to their native son.”