New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver lies in state at Essex County Courthouse in Newark
NEWARK, N.J. -- Sheila Oliver, the late lieutenant governor of New Jersey, was taken to the historic Essex County Courthouse in Newark on Friday to lie in state.
It's where Oliver, 71, spent much of her career before she broke barriers and became the first Black woman elected lieutenant governor.
Newark police and Essex County sheriff motorcycle units escorted the gold hearse carrying Oliver's casket from Trenton, where she was lying in state at the capitol rotunda.
Oliver's family was emotional watching her flag-draped casket being carried into the historic courthouse. Gov. Phil Murphy, the first lady and a delegation of public officials deeply connected to Oliver over the years stood by.
"This is her home. This is where, her entire life was here," said Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo Jr.
"She's home. This was her home for a long time. She spent an awful lot of time of her career, of her in life in this building," said Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura.
"We've been busy in Essex County and at the state to make sure that this queen has the best home going," said State Sen. Theresa Ruiz, one of Oliver's closest political allies. "I don't think anyone really understood all of the power that she had. She was quiet about that, and she did what she had to do to get to the finish line in a positive way where nobody was left behind."
Inside, mourners gathered to pay their respects to Oliver, who was born in Newark and attended Weequahic High School.
At the door, a former colleague handed out red carnations to those going into the public viewing.
"As a Black woman and a woman of the people, when she talked, she talked with intelligence, integrity and her work was just awesome," said Jacqueline Kennedy, of Newark.
Asantewaa Harris came from Bloomfield to say her last goodbye to Oliver.
"The late lieutenant governor was a beacon of hope. As a Black woman in leadership, she was stellar," said Harris. "The key meeting that I had with the lieutenant governor, about accessibility for us."
Friends said Oliver cared deeply about raising up everyone, especially women, and that she did it with grace and humility.
"She never lost her cool. On the private side we would laugh and cry together. But in public she kept it together because she understood that women get tried more than once in capacities of leadership," said Ruiz.
Oliver will lie in state at the courthouse until 10 p.m. Friday.
A memorial service at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart is planned at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The service will be streamed live CBS News New York.
