Memorial services for Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. commence Thursday in Chicago, where the civil rights leader and former presidential candidate will lie in repose at his Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters. The 84-year-old activist died last week after battling a neurological disorder, prompting tributes from around the world.
CHICAGO — A series of nationwide memorial ceremonies honoring Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. kicks off Thursday in Chicago, the city the renowned civil rights activist considered his home base.
The former mentee of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and former two-time White House hopeful will be displayed in repose for 48 hours at his Rainbow PUSH Coalition offices, followed by additional ceremonies in Washington, D.C., and his birth state of South Carolina.
“The outpouring of love and support received from around the globe has been abundant and deeply felt,” Jackson’s family members said in a recent statement.
The civil rights champion passed away last week at 84 years old following his battle with a rare neurological condition that impaired his movement and speech during his final years.
Tributes have flooded in from across the world, with multiple states including Minnesota, Iowa and North Carolina lowering their flags to half-mast as a mark of respect.
However, his passing has resonated most deeply in Chicago, America’s third-most populous city, where Jackson established his residence for many years and brought up his six children, one of whom serves in Congress.
Flower arrangements have accumulated outside the family’s Tudor-style residence in the city’s South Side neighborhood for several days. Educational institutions have expressed their sympathies, while the city’s transit system has utilized electronic displays to show Jackson’s image alongside his famous phrase, “I am Somebody!”
Jackson championed numerous causes both domestically and internationally, fighting for disadvantaged populations on matters ranging from electoral access to employment prospects, educational opportunities and medical care. He achieved diplomatic successes with international leaders and utilized his Rainbow PUSH Coalition to transform calls for Black empowerment and autonomy into corporate pressure, pushing business leaders toward creating a more inclusive and fair America.
“We honor him, and his hard-earned legacy as a freedom fighter, philosopher, and faithful shepherd of his family and community here in Chicago,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement.
During the upcoming week, Jackson will be honored at the South Carolina Statehouse, with public ceremonies featuring speeches from Gov. Henry McMaster and a wreath-laying event. Jackson’s early life and initial activist efforts took place in South Carolina.
Information regarding Washington ceremonies remains undisclosed. Nevertheless, he will not receive the honor of lying in state at the U.S. Capitol rotunda following the rejection of such a request by House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office.
The two-week series of events will conclude next week with a major life celebration at a Chicago megachurch, followed by final homegoing ceremonies at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters.
Family representatives announced that all services will welcome public attendance.
“His life is broad enough to cover the full spectrum of what it means to be American,” his eldest son, Jesse Jackson Jr., told reporters recently. “We only ask people to come and be respectful in context of the extraordinary life he lived.”