Al Sharpton to give eulogy at Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver's funeral

Civil rights activist and television host the Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy for Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver at her funeral on Saturday.

Sharpton, president of the National Action Network and host of a weekly show on MSNBC, will eulogize Oliver at the request of her family, said a statement from Gov. Phil Murphy's office on Monday.

Oliver, the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the state Assembly and the first to hold statewide elected office in New Jersey, died suddenly last week at 71. The family has declined to release her cause of death.

The funeral, open to the public, will be held at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark on Saturday at 10 a.m. After the service, Oliver will be interred in a private ceremony.

That service will cap off several days of mourning for the lieutenant governor, who will lie in state in the rotunda at the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton on Thursday. On Friday, Oliver, a longtime East Orange resident, will lie in state at the Essex County Historic Courthouse.

Sharpton said in a statement that Oliver was a friend to him and the National Action Network and "someone whom we all considered to be a dependable and powerful partner in the fight for justice and equality."

More: Gov. Phil Murphy, back in New Jersey, mourns his 'greatest partner,' Sheila Oliver

"Lt. Governor Oliver fought to ensure more women — and more Black women in particular — have the opportunity to serve in elected office," he added. "Not satisfied with her own success, she paved the way for a new generation as well."

Staff Writer Katie Sobko contributed to this story.

Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver eulogy for NJ Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver