A celebration of life will be held next week for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 84.
Jackson’s life and legacy will be celebrated at multiple events in Chicago next week, with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition releasing details on services paying tribute to the civil rights icon.
According to officials, Jackson will lie in state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters at 930 East 50th Street in Chicago on Wednesday, February 25 and Thursday, February 26.
Doors will open at 10 a.m. on both days, remaining open until 9 p.m. on Wednesday and until 6 p.m. on Thursday.
“The People’s Celebration” will be held at Chicago’s House of Hope on Friday, February 27. The celebration at House of Hope, located at 752 East 114th Street, will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., with doors opening at 9 a.m.
A Homegoing Service will be held at Rainbow PUSH on Saturday, February 28. Doors will open at 9 a.m., and the service will begin at 10 a.m.
In his final months, as he received 24-hour care, he lost his ability to speak, communicating with family and visitors by holding their hands and squeezing.
Born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1941, Jesse Louis Jackson went on to gain national attention for his work in promoting civil rights, working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Originally a high school athlete, Jackson received a football scholarship to the University of Illinois, but returned home after only a year. According to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson later transferred to North Carolina A&T State University and graduated in 1964.
Rev. Jesse Jackson had a way of encouraging young people to dream big and chase excellence. Regina Waldroup spoke to students about his legacy and impact.
In 1966, at the age of 25, Jackson returned to study at the Chicago Theological Seminary. He soon became a fixture on the religious and political scenes in the city, sometimes clashing with leaders like former Mayors Richard J. Daley and Jane Byrne and often working with local groups on education programs and anti-violence campaigns.
He continued to back a variety of political causes, pushing for universal health care, additional funding for civil rights law enforcement, and increasing business investment in underserved communities, according to his official biography.
In 1971, Jackson helped to found the international human and civil rights organization Rainbow PUSH Coalition, based on Chicago’s South Side.
Prior to that, he was appointed by King to direct the Operation Breadbasket program.
Ultimately, Jackson would launch multiple bids for president, competing in the 1984 Democratic primaries and then winning 11 primaries in 1988 before ultimately losing out on the nomination to Michael Dukakis.
Jackson became known worldwide as a fierce advocate for Black students to excel in school, pushing educational programs and for reforms across the country. He also advocated for criminal justice reform, pushing for legislation cracking down on illegal drugs and seeking strategies to reduce Black-on-Black crime. He went on to receive dozens of honorary degrees and spoke to audiences around the world.
Jackson was also known to support Palestinian rights, and fought apartheid in South Africa, repeatedly pushing for the release of Nelson Mandela in the 1980s. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by former President Bill Clinton in 2000.
NBC Chicago’s Rose Schmidt takes a look at how the late Rev. Jesse Jackson used boycotts to spark change throughout his life.
In November of 2017, Jackson announced he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but remained active in the fight for civil rights, pushing for strengthened voting rights legislation and fighting for criminal justice reform after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“Even if we win,” he told marchers in Minneapolis before the officer whose knee kept George Floyd from breathing was convicted of murder, “it’s relief, not victory. They’re still killing our people. Stop the violence, save the children. Keep hope alive.”
In 2024, he appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and at a City Council meeting to show support for a resolution backing a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Jackson stepped down as head of Rainbow PUSH in 2023, and has remained largely private in recent years. He is survived by his wife Jacqueline and six children.
