President Joe Biden will attend the wake of former congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, who died on Dec. 31 at age 88, the Dallas Morning News reports.
The wake and funeral for Johnson will be held at Concord Church in Red Bird, which falls within the congressional district Johnson represented from 1993 to 2023. The trip will be Biden’s first visit to Dallas since taking office.
Johnson and Biden served in Congress together for 16 years.
“She and I worked together throughout her 30 years in Congress, and I’ve always been grateful for her friendship and partnership,” a statement released by the White House the day Johnson died said. “Throughout her life, and as the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, she was an icon and mentor to generations of public servants, through whom her legacy of resilience and purpose will endure.”
On Jan. 8, a viewing for Johnson will be held at the Hall of State in Fair Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A wake service will be held at Concord Church that evening, from 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Funeral services will begin at the church at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 9, and Johnson will be buried on Jan. 10 at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
After Johnson’s death, the President wrote he was sending his love to her family and “to the people of Texas’ 30th Congressional District, who were so fortunate to have her as their champion for so long.”
The Advocate will update this story with any potential road closures that may occur from the President’s Red Bird visit.
