On Friday, a memorial for Reverend Jesse Jackson was held in Chicago, where his life was honoured and celebrated by former presidents, celebrities, civil rights leaders, faith communities, and thousands of citizens.
Jackson, died on 17th February 2026 aged 84-years-old after battling progressive supranuclear palsy.
In life, he was a Baptist minister and civil rights activist who worked alongside Dr Martin Luther King Jr. He also ran for the Democratic presidential nomination twice, and founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
During the ceremony, he was remembered as a spiritual leader whose faith guided decades of activism. His son, Yusef Jackson, said: “He lived a revolutionary Christian faith rooted in justice, nonviolence and moral righteousness.”
Former president Barack Obama, standing before a cross-draped podium at the House of Hope, told mourners:
“We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope… each day we wake up to some new assault on our democratic institutions… everywhere we see greed and bigotry being celebrated… and it’s hard to hope in those moments. But this man, Reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson, inspires us to take a harder path. His voice calls on each of us to be heralds of change, to be messengers of hope, to step forward… because if we don’t step up, no one else will. May he rest in eternal peace.”
The service featured former presidents Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, and Obama; former vice-president Kamala Harris; first ladies Jill Biden and Hillary Clinton; filmmaker Tyler Perry; and former basketball star Isiah Thomas, among many more.
Performances included Jennifer Hudson and Opal Staples. Attendees prayed, sang hymns, and reflected on Jackson’s work through Operation PUSH and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, highlighting his lifelong Christian commitment to justice.
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Professor Paul Morrison, received the Global Shining Star award from the hands of Jesse Jackson in 2017. In conversation with Premier Gospel Radio, he recalled his experience meeting him during the award ceremony in San Francisco:
“Reverend Jesse Jackson… came straight to me, sat down, and after breakfast he asked us all to hold hands and prayed together. You could feel the weight of history in his words. He reminded me that when we step out in faith, God can do extraordinary things. His words about inclusion, justice, and serving others… were truly life changing.”
Speakers praised Jackson’s unwavering dedication to the marginalized and oppressed.
Obama described Jackson’s life as a “legacy of hope,” urging Americans to follow his example of Christian service, moral courage, and faith in action.
Jackson is survived by his wife Jacqueline and their five children, including former US representative Jesse Jackson Jr.