Speaker Mike Johnson’s office has denied a request from the family of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson to have his remains lie in honor in the United States Capitol Rotunda, citing precedent that the space is typically reserved for former presidents, military members and select officials. Jackson, the pioneering civil rights leader whose two presidential campaigns transformed American politics for generations, died this week at age 84.
The decision highlights an ongoing tension over who deserves to be honored at the Capitol, as recent requests to honor other prominent figures have been similarly denied.
Few private citizens have received Capitol honor
The Capitol Rotunda has rarely been opened for private citizens. Jackson would join civil rights icon Rosa Parks, who lay in honor in 2005, and Reverend Billy Graham, honored in 2018. In 2020, Congressman John Lewis, a veteran of the civil rights movement, became the first Black lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, following a ceremony held outside on the Capitol steps due to pandemic restrictions.
Recent requests to honor other prominent figures—slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk and former Vice President Dick Cheney—were similarly denied. There is no specific written rule governing who qualifies for the honor. Instead, the decision requires concurrence from both the House and Senate. The Architect of the Capitol describes the space as reserved for “the most eminent citizens,” with government and military officials lying in state while honored private citizens lie in honor.
Memorial services planned across multiple cities
Jackson’s family announced a series of memorial services honoring the reverend’s life. Services will be held in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, with talks ongoing with lawmakers about where some proceedings will take place. His final memorial services are scheduled for Chicago on March 6 and 7.
Jackson’s enduring legacy
Jackson founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which became a hub for progressive organizers across the country. His fiery speeches and unapologetic calls for a progressive economic agenda and more inclusive policies across racial, religious, gender and sexual orientation lines shaped the Democratic Party’s progressive wing for generations.
He earned international recognition as a champion for human rights, conducting the release of American hostages on multiple continents and emerging as a fierce critic of apartheid in South Africa. His dual presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 transformed American politics for generations.
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