In a poignant ceremony on Monday, civil rights icon Jesse Jackson Sr. was commemorated in his home state of South Carolina, where he once walked the streets under the oppressive shadow of segregation. His casket, draped with the American flag, lay in state under the Capitol’s rotunda, as thousands of admirers encircled the Statehouse grounds to pay their respects.
A somber procession, led by a horse-drawn caisson, delivered Jackson’s body to the Capitol. There, state troopers, dressed in ceremonial white gloves, solemnly escorted the casket inside. This marked only the second time in history that a Black individual has received such an honor in South Carolina.
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The memorial service began with a stirring rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the Black national anthem. The powerful anthem echoed through the halls of the Statehouse, a building with its own tumultuous history, having suffered destruction in 1865 during the Civil War—a conflict ignited by South Carolina to uphold the institution of slavery.
Before the public was allowed to pay their respects, political leaders and other dignitaries gathered to reminisce about Jackson’s profound impact. Growing up in Greenville, Jackson’s journey into civil rights activism was sparked in 1960 when he led a courageous sit-in at a whites-only library. Alongside seven Black high school students, Jackson peacefully read books and magazines, an act that led to their arrest and marked the beginning of his lifelong dedication to equality.
Democratic U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn, who has served over three decades in Congress, paid tribute to Jackson. Reflecting on their shared history in racially segregated South Carolina, Clyburn remarked, “Because of his efforts, I can sit where I am today.” Their relationship, which began on opposing high school sports teams, flourished into a deep and enduring friendship through their common fight for civil rights.
Thousands line up to pay respect to Jackson
Jesse Jackson Sr. passed away on February 17 at the age of 84, having bravely battled a rare neurological disorder that affected his speech and mobility in his final years. His legacy, however, remains an indelible part of the fight for justice and equality.
When the Statehouse doors opened to the public, a line seven blocks long was waiting. People walked up to the second floor and were given a moment to pray or take a picture or a selfie before a trooper in a dress uniform politely asked them to keep moving.
Behind Jackson’s casket, with his back turned, was a statue of former U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun, a zealous defender of slavery.
The South Carolina services are part of two weeks of events. It began with Jackson’s body lying in repose last week at his Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s Chicago headquarters.
After South Carolina, Jackson will be returned to Chicago for a large celebration of life gathering at a megachurch and the final homegoing services at the Rainbow PUSH headquarters. Plans for a service in Washington, D.C., to honor him have been postponed until a later date.
Jackson fought for the poor
Nationally and internationally, Jackson advocated for the poor and underrepresented for voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders.
Through his Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society. He was the Civil Rights Movement’s torchbearer after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, and would run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.
George Curtis drove nearly three hours from Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a North Carolina A&T University graduate, like Jackson, and that connection led them to meet several times. Curtis wore his hat with Jackson’s name on it in support of one of his favorite causes. On the side, it said, “Keep hope alive. Vote!”
“He was a great guy. His legacy will live on. But everybody has to vote. The way things are going, you have to vote,” Curtis said.
Rev. Jesse Jackson live updates: South Carolina services begin
Jackson was present in 2015 when the South Carolina House voted to finally remove the Confederate flag from the Capitol grounds. Several were placed there during the 1960s in opposition to the federal government’s push for integration.
South Carolina’s longest-serving legislator found Jackson in the celebration. Democratic Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter said he pulled her aside.
“It’s great to take down the Confederate flag. But what about the Confederate agenda,” Cobb-Hunter recalled him saying. “What I want people to remember is there is still much work to do.”
Mayor says Jackson ‘freed us all’
Jackson also pushed in 2003 for Greenville County to honor King by matching the federal holiday in his honor.
It’s not just Black South Carolinians who owe Jackson a debt of gratitude. Anyone who enjoys the rewards of a rapidly growing state, thanks in part to manufacturers like luxury carmaker BMW and airplane maker Boeing locating here, owes him, Greenville Mayor Knox White said.
“Can you imagine a BMW or a Boeing would locate in a segregated South Carolina? Of course not,” White said. “He freed us all.”
Jackson is just the second Black man to lie in state at the South Carolina Capitol. State Sen. Clementa Pinckney was honored in 2015 after he was shot and killed in the Charleston church shooting that led to the removal of the Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds.
Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report.
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