Rev. Jesse Jackson lies in state in South Carolina

Bella Carpentier, Greenville NewsMon, March 2, 2026 at 7:08 PM UTC

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Rev. Jesse Jackson lies in state in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, South Carolina – Thousands stood in a line that wrapped around the South Carolina Statehouse on March 2, waiting to pay their respects to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Jackson, a Greenville native and trailblazer in the American Civil Rights Movement, died on Feb. 17 at 84. His casket, draped with the American flag, arrived at the statehouse on March 2 for his second lying in state, the first of which happened in Chicago.

More: Jesse Jackson, towering icon of civil rights, dies following lengthy illness

Aaron Brown, a retired Air Force officer, traveled from Barnesville, Georgia, to pay his respects to Jackson. Brown joined the Air Force a month before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, and he said Jackson inspired his military service.

1 / 0Jesse Jackson dies at 84. Follow his journey to civil rights leader

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering civil rights icon who battled alongside Martin Luther King Jr., negotiated global hostage releases, and shamed corporations for their lack of corporate diversity and failure to support voting rights, has died. He was 84. Jackson was hospitalized on Nov. 12 following a lengthy battle with the neuromuscular disease progressive supranuclear palsy, a condition similar to Parkinson's disease.See his journey and path to politics in photos.

At the order of Gov. Henry McMaster, flags above the statehouse flew at half-staff in windy, overcast skies ahead of a day of memorial services in honor of American Civil Rights Movement trailblazer Jackson. An Allen University choir sang out as Jackson's casket arrived at the statehouse and was carried into the building as family watched, teary-eyed.

More: Childhood friends grieve Jesse Jackson: 'It hit me like losing a brother'

Jackson was born in Greenville, and the seeds of his legacy in the Civil Rights Movement were planted in the Upstate when he organized protests that would lead to the desegregation of the Greenville Public Library. State Sen. Karl Allen, D-Greenville, State Rep. Chandra Dillard, D-Greenville, and Greenville Mayor Knox White traveled to the state capitol building to honor Jackson's legacy on March 2 – a day of ceremony to commemorate his work.

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"You could always tell when he was in the room," Dillard said. "Some days he was loud and proud, but other times, he was soft and mesmerizing."

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, a Democrat, also attended and recalled fond memories of him and his lifelong friend. According to Clyburn, they attended rival South Carolina high schools and played against each other during the high school football season. They grew their friendship over the years, and Jackson's mother even helped Clyburn launch his political career.

"This is a friendship that spanned generations," Clyburn said.

Jackson will lie in state at the South Carolina State House until 5:30 p.m., when the South Carolina Highway Patrol will escort his casket out of the statehouse. Public visitation, when visitors will be able to pay their respects to Jackson, will be from 11:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The civil rights icon had previously lain in state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27. He will next be honored in Chicago on March 6 for the People's Celebration at House of Hope.

Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Rev. Jesse Jackson honored at South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia

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