Crowds pay respects to Rev. Jesse L. Jackson at Rainbow PUSH headquarters

By Jazlynn Edwards

Hundreds of mourners from across Chicago lined up Thursday to honor the legacy of civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson as he lay in state at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago.

Jackson, who died last week at the age of 84, lived in Chicago for decades and raised his six children here, including his son, Jesse L. Jackson Jr., a former U.S. congressman.

Children from neighboring schools, members of Jackson’s fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, congregants from his church, and members of the PUSH choir stood shoulder to shoulder outside the building. T-shirts bearing his likeness and handmade artwork circulated through the crowd. 

Inside, a montage of Jackson’s speeches and photographs played on a large screen as mourners exchanged stories about his impact on their lives. Volunteers and staff members greeted visitors as they slowly made their way toward the open casket.

“He was kind and passionate about his work, and he was always there,” said Marie Williams, a member of Jackson’s PUSH choir.

The day marked the beginning of a week-long series of memorials and tributes to the two-time Democratic presidential candidate and an icon in the civil rights movement. Jackson was present at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. He was just 26 at the time. 

In an interview with the History channel in 2018, Jackson described what happened after King was killed. “And then all hell broke loose for a while. We had to figure out what were the best strategic ways to fulfill his dream.”

After the Chicago observance, his body is scheduled to return to his hometown in South Carolina.

As mourners approached the open casket, the call-and-response chant “I Am Somebody” hummed softly through the room. Prominent figures from Jackson’s life stood nearby, offering condolences and gratitude. Among them was the Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke early in the service about Jackson’s decades-long fight for civil rights and economic justice.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has described himself as a former “PUSH kid,” said he hopes younger generations remember Jackson’s determination.

“I hope they remember his resilience and know that there cannot be progress without a fight, especially in times like this, where we are fighting for racial identity,” Johnson said.

Throughout the memorial, Jackson’s long-standing message “Keep hope alive” echoed in speeches, songs, and conversations among attendees.

For many gathered inside the headquarters he founded, the day was not only a farewell but a reminder of the movement he built and the work supporters say remains unfinished.

“I knew that ‘I am somebody ' was about me,” said Toni Andrews, a mourner from Chicago’s North Side  “ I’m grateful to have grown up in a home where I was told that. It was powerful.” 

Andria Childress contributed to this story.

Photo: Miguel Guerrero