Elijah Cummings to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol, the 1st black lawmaker accorded that honor

Memorial to Rep. Elijah Cummings — (Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who died Oct. 17 at age 68, will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will be among the lawmakers to memorialize Cummings at a ceremony before the public is allowed in to pay their respects. The late chairman of the House Oversight Committee will be only the 32nd person to lie in state at the Capitol, and the first black lawmaker awarded the honor. Among the other Americans to lie in state at the Capitol are 12 presidents, most recently George H.W. Bush, plus Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), preacher Billy Graham, and Rosa Parks.

Cummings' funeral will be Friday at New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore, where he worshipped for four decades. His eulogists will include two former presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as Pelosi and Hillary Clinton.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.