By Ashlee Banks, Special to the AFRO
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.
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.”
In a statement obtained by the AFRO, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.-8) stated that while Republicans attack “civil rights, voting rights and democracy itself,” congressional democrats will honor Jackson’s legacy.
“In his name, we will continue to stand up for the American people until we can end this national nightmare at long last,” stated the lawmaker.
Leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus said in a statement obtained by the AFRO that Jackson broke barriers and “paved the way for a new generation of Black elected leaders.”
“Rev. Jackson will be remembered most for his unparalleled courage and moral clarity that will stand the test of time,” said the Caucus. “Reverend Jackson’s lifelong commitment to justice and equality for all will continue to inspire generations.”
For Representative Grant, the loss is personal. He told the AFRO, that Jackson served as a mentor for him politically and personally, as Grant’s father and Rev. Jackson were “great friends.”
“There is no representative Hamilton Grant without first a Jesse Jackson,” he told the AFRO.
Grant interacted with Rev. Jackson on numerous occasions. It was always striking to be in the presence of someone you’ve read so much about,” he added. “He made sure that you understood the weight and the accountability and responsibility that you have to build on the momentum that he and so many others worked hard to do in the Civil Rights Movement.”
The late Rev. Jackson’s final journey to the Palmetto State began Saturday morning as a memorial caravan departed Chicago. Jacqueline Jackson, the widow of the reverend, accompanied the hearse on the overland procession, which included a symbolic stop at the state Capitol in Nashville, Tenn. The pilgrimage followed two days of public visitation at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago, the organization Mr. Jackson founded and used as a base for decades of activism.
The ceremonies in Columbia, South Carolina on March 2 will begin at 10 a.m. with a private service for family and clergy, followed by a public ceremony at 10:30 a.m. featuring remarks from Gov. McMaster and reflections from local and federal leaders. Choirs from Allen University and Benedict College are scheduled to perform before a wreath-laying ceremony.
The public will be invited to pay their respects in the Rotunda from 11:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Following the visitation, a church service will be held at 6 p.m. at Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia.
As South Carolina prepares for Rev. Jackson’s arrival, Rep. Grant put out a call to action to younger voters and leaders.He told the AFRO, that it would be a “grave injustice to the legacy and memories” of leaders like Rev. Jackson if “we don’t pick up the mantle and baton and keep running the race that they ran.”