Controversy Ignites as House Speaker Blocks Capitol Tribute for Civil Rights Legend Rev. Jesse Jackson

CHICAGO — The request for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson to lie in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda has been declined by House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office, citing established precedents.

Speaker Johnson’s office explained that the request, made by Jackson’s family, was turned down because the Rotunda is traditionally reserved for former presidents, distinguished military personnel, and select officials. This protocol has been adhered to for many years, and the office decided to maintain this tradition.

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Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering figure in the civil rights movement, passed away this week at the age of 84. In the wake of his passing, his family, along with some House Democrats, submitted a request to honor him at the Capitol.

Santita Jackson, Jesse Jackson’s daughter, addressed the decision in an interview with ABC7 Chicago. “Other people had that idea, and the Speaker has authority over that branch of government and over the Capitol,” she remarked. “I think that the Speaker has his decision. He has rendered it. What we want is for the people to get a chance to be with him.”

The family remains focused on ensuring that the public has an opportunity to pay their respects to the late civil rights leader, despite the decision regarding the Capitol Rotunda.

Amid the country’s political divisions, there have been flare ups over who is memorialized at the Capitol with a service to lie in state, or honor, in the Rotunda. During such events, the public is generally allowed to visit the Capitol and pay their respects.

Recent requests had similarly been made, and denied, to honor Charlie Kirk, the slain conservative activist, and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

There is no specific rule about who qualifies for the honor, a decision that is controlled by concurrence from both the House and Senate.

The Jackson family has announced scheduled dates for memorial services beginning next week that will honor the late reverend’s life in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and South Carolina. In a statement, the Jackson family said it had heard from leaders in both South Carolina, Jackson’s native state, and Washington offering for Jackson to be celebrated in both locations. Talks are ongoing with lawmakers about where those proceedings will take place. His final memorial services will be held in Chicago on March 6 and 7.

Typically, the Capitol and its Rotunda have been reserved for the “most eminent citizens,” according to the Architect of the Capitol’s website. It said government and military officials lay in state, while private citizens in honor.

In 2020, Congressman John Lewis, another veteran of the Civil Rights movement, was the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda after a ceremony honoring his legacy was held outside on the Capitol steps due to pandemic restrictions at the time.

Later that year, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed services for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Capitol’s Statuary Hall after agreement could not be reached for services in the Capitol’s Rotunda.

It is rare for private citizens to be honored at the Capitol, but there is precedent – most notably Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks, in 2005, and the Reverend Billy Graham, in 2018.

A passionate civil rights leader and globally-minded humanitarian, Jackson’s fiery speeches and dual 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns transformed American politics for generations. Jackson’s organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, became a hub for progressive organizers across the country.

His unapologetic calls for a progressive economic agenda and more inclusive policies for all racial groups, religions, genders and orientations laid the groundwork for the progressive movement within the Democratic Party.

Jackson also garnered a global reputation as a champion for human rights. He conducted the release of American hostages on multiple continents and argued for greater connections between civil rights movements around the world, most notably as a fierce critic of the policies of Apartheid South Africa.

The full schedule of services for Rev. Jackson is as follows:

Thursday, Feb. 26
Lying in State at Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Location: 930 E. 50th St., Chicago, IL 60615
Doors open: 10 a.m.