Rev. Jesse Jackson Honored with Lying in State at South Carolina Capitol

Civil rights leader's final tribute in home state before Chicago memorial service

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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After a long career fighting for civil rights, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. will lie in state at the South Carolina Capitol on Monday, a far cry from his segregated childhood in Greenville where he couldn't even check out books from the local library. Jackson went on to become a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement, advocating for the poor and underrepresented, running for president, and continuing to fight for equality in his home state until his death at age 84.

Why it matters

Jackson's legacy as a civil rights leader and torchbearer after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. is being honored with the rare distinction of lying in state at the South Carolina Capitol, only the second Black man to receive this tribute in the state. His life's work and impact on the fight for equality will be celebrated through memorial services in both his home state and Chicago.

The details

Jackson led seven Black high school students into a segregated library branch in Greenville in 1960, where they sat down and read books until they were arrested, launching his civil rights career. He went on to join the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march with Martin Luther King Jr. and later ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988. In his home state, Jackson continued to advocate for honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and removing the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds.

  • Jackson died on February 17, 2026 at the age of 84.
  • Jackson's body will lie in state at the South Carolina Capitol on Monday, March 2, 2026.
  • After the South Carolina services, Jackson's body will be returned to Chicago for a large celebration of life gathering and final homegoing services.

The players

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

A civil rights leader who fought for equality, voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care for the poor and underrepresented. He was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

A prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. Jackson joined King's voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Clementa Pinckney

A South Carolina state senator who was shot and killed in the 2015 Charleston church shooting, and was the first Black man to lie in state at the South Carolina Capitol.

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What’s next

After the South Carolina services, Jackson's body will be returned to Chicago for a large celebration of life gathering at a megachurch and the final homegoing services at the headquarters of Rainbow PUSH. Plans for a service in Washington, D.C., to honor him have been postponed until a later date.

The takeaway

Rev. Jesse Jackson's life and legacy as a pioneering civil rights leader who fought for equality, voting rights, and opportunities for the underrepresented will be honored through memorial services in his home state of South Carolina and Chicago, cementing his place as a torchbearer of the movement after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.