On Monday, the late Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. was honored by lying in state at the South Carolina State House. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster offered to have Jesse Jackson Sr. lie in state after the Jackson family wrote to South Carolina legislators. At 11:30 a.m., the statehouse opened its doors for public visitation to a line wrapped around the building.
“I don’t care how long the line is, I’m glad I’m here,” said Cheryl Niles, a member of the public who waited to pay her respects after waiting for over an hour.
Jesse Jackson Sr.'s return home to South Carolina was welcomed by thousands of people from different hometowns and backgrounds. From 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the statehouse was surrounded by lines of people waiting to honor the late activist.
“I feel it is a privilege and an honor for so many people, not just Black people ... He has touched so many lives all across different parts of the world,” Columbia resident Linda Taylor said. “I feel that this is a great honor, and it’s a way to pay my respect to a man who has done so much for so many people.”
Members of the Jackson family shook hands with the visitors, thanking them for coming to pay their respects. Legislators stood and spoke with the family, extending their admiration for Jesse Jackson Sr.
“What a magnificent opportunity to reunify the nation,” Santita Jackson, the eldest daughter of Jesse Jackson Sr., said. “You have a Republican governor, and you have a legislative Black caucus, who agreed to celebrate their native son here in a place that he could not even walk into the whole time that he lived here.”
Jesse Jackson Sr. was born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1941, when the state was still a far cry from what it is today. Faced with segregation and other inequalities, the reverend dedicated his life’s work to civil justice.
“I heard a story from Representative Chandra Dillard last week when we did our Black History Month recognition,” South Carolina State Rep. Hamilton Grant said. “(Jesse Jackson Sr.) needed to go to the library to get a book to complete a paper, and the colored-only library, which was a small house in Greenville, didn’t have what he needed. He went to the white library and was told he could not use the book nor come in.”
This led Jesse Jackson Sr. to organize a read-in to protest the segregation of public libraries. He used this opportunity to teach students how to effectively protest, get their point across and not be afraid of getting arrested, according to Grant.
“I think that when you look at those moments, ... even though it happened decades ago, we’re still in that fight and in that movement right now,” Grant said.
Following the White House’s denial of the Jackson family’s request to honor Jesse Jackson Sr. at the nation's Capitol, disappointment spread.
“It was very disheartening, but not surprising, to see Speaker Mike Johnson and the United States Capitol close its door to such an American hero,” Grant said. “Which is why I give so much praise to Governor McMaster, Senator Thomas Alexander, our Speaker of the House Smith, leaders of the Black Caucus and so many others that worked in a collaborative way to make sure that this happened.”
Jesse Jackson Sr. is the second Black person to lie in state in South Carolina’s State House.
“For the governor to say, without thinking about it, ‘Yes, we are going to honor our son,’ means so much, and for the Black caucus to feel empowered enough to request it means so much,” Santita Jackson said, “It means that America is getting better.”
Following the ceremony at the statehouse, a memorial was held at Brookland Baptist Church. Family, friends and admirers convened to share stories of the late reverend. Gospel music filled the chapel as choir members and guests sang in harmony, celebrating the life of Jesse Jackson Sr.
“I know not the world where a public library would deny me access. That ain’t my star. That is the star of Jesse Jackson,” Jesse Jackson Jr., the son of Jesse Jackson Sr., said at the memorial.
Jesse Jackson Sr. wore many hats: civil rights activist, minister, politician and father. At the memorial, Santita Jackson shared how he worked hard for justice, and he worked hard for his family, never sacrificing one for the other.
“We’ve come a long way, we’ve got a long way to go, but just having the Capitol open to all people to honor this man means so much to everybody,” Santita Jackson said.