(Washington, DC) – The African American Mayors Association (AAMA) and Black mayors from across the country have signed on to a letter declaring that flags will be lowered on their public buildings between Sunday March 1, 2026 and Saturday, March 7, 2026 in honor of the late civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., and calling on state governors and fellow mayors to honor him by doing the same.

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Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. was a transformative leader who died at the age of 84 last week, leaving an enduring legacy of service and nonviolent social change. Jackson dedicated his life to fighting against segregation, racism and injustice, and to pushing for equity and human rights in just about every corner, from the halls of Congress to the boardroom and the workplace.

“Our cities, and our nation as a whole, owe a tremendous debt to Reverend Jackson for his life of service and his commitment to justice for all people. He knew that the fight for civil rights, labor rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s rights is inherently interconnected—as evidenced by his work for Operation Breadbasket, Operation PUSH, and the National Rainbow Coalition,” said AAMA President and Savannah, GA Mayor Van R. Johnson II.

“Few leaders in history have been so committed to coalition-building. Moreover, he recognized that the fight for justice knows no borders—and thus, his impact is visible around the globe, from his home in South Carolina to his humanitarian work in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond.”

“Especially as we face renewed attacks on fundamental civil rights, and concerted efforts to erase our history, it is all the more important for us to uplift the lives and legacy of civil rights heroes like the Reverend. We take this collective action in his memory and encourage our brother and sister mayors and governors across the nation to join us.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson denied a request for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. According to the Associated Press, Johnson’s office said it received a request from the family to have Jackson’s remains lie in honor at the Capitol, but the request was denied, because of the precedent that the space is typically reserved for former presidents, the military and select officials.

Rep. Elijah Cummings was the first African American congressman to lay in state in Statuary Hall in 2019. Rep. John Lewis was the first to lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda in 2020. While not lawmakers, civil rights icon Rosa Parks lay in honor in the Capitol in 2005 and Capitol Police officer Jacob J. Chestnut Jr. lay in honor at the Capitol in 1998.

Rev. Jackson will lie in state on March 2nd at the South Carolina Statehouse. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced the decision on Monday, at the request of Jackson’s family and several members of the South Carolina General Assembly. He also directed that all flags at the State House be lowered that day, from sunrise to sunset.