Feb. 7 (UPI) -- The parents of Tyre Nichols, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Paul Pelosi and Bono are among the special guests who were at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday for President Joe Biden's State of the Union address.
The 26 guests, who were invited by first lady Jill Biden, represent issues or themes that President Biden addressed in his speech. Some of them are also representative of the Biden administration's policies, the White House said in a statement.
RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols were in attendance. Nichols was severely beaten by multiple police officers during a traffic stop in Memphis. He was hospitalized and died three days later as a result of his injuries.
Last week a sixth officer involved in his arrest was fired. Mourners, including Vice President Kamala Harris, remembered Nichols as a "beautiful person" at a funeral service in Memphis.
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"We have a mother and a father who mourn the life of a young man ... who should be here today," Harris said.
Oksana Markarova, the Ambassador of Ukraine, attended the address for the second consecutive year, as the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaches.
Last month, Biden announced the United States would send 31 of its advanced Abrams tanks to Ukraine to aid its defense against Moscow.
Even though his wife Nancy Pelosi is no longer speaker of the House, Paul Pelosi attended after being violently attacked in his California home by an intruder last year. The intruder violently attacked Pelosi and reportedly asked "Where's Nancy?"
San Francisco police released body camera footage of the attack last month.
Bono attended because of his fights against AIDS and poverty. He has worked to build support for Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and is the cofounder of the ONE campaign, which works to fight poverty.
Maurice Dykes was present to highlight Tennessee's teacher Registered Apprenticeship programs. Dykes is currently in training to become a teacher, the White House said. He is enrolled in the state's apprenticeship program which seeks to help people enter the teaching profession at no cost.
To highlight the mental health crisis, the White House invited Harry Miller, a former football player at Ohio State University. Last year, Miller announced that he would no longer play football to prioritize his mental health. Biden has sought to tackle the mental health crisis by increasing investments in mental health support.
