CHICAGO — One day following the passing of civil rights legend Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., his five children delivered a heartfelt memorial Wednesday outside the family’s Chicago residence, sharing memories that ranged from lighthearted moments about his famous determination to tearful reflections on losing their father.
The 82-year-old activist passed away Tuesday at his Chicago residence following a prolonged battle with a rare neurological condition that impaired his mobility and speech. Gathering on the front steps of the home where Jackson lived for years, his children — including Congressman Jonathan Jackson — celebrated both his monumental contributions to the civil rights movement and his dedication as a spiritual guide and parent.
“Our father is a man who dedicated his life to public service to gain, protect and defend civil rights and human rights to make our nation better, to make the world more just, our people better neighbors with each other,” his youngest son, Yusef Jackson, stated while visibly emotional during parts of his remarks.
The Jackson family indicated that while specific arrangements for the funeral will be shared later, memorial services are scheduled to commence next week. Jackson will lie in repose at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago, the organization he established and which Yusef now leads. A larger church venue will host subsequent services to handle anticipated attendance.
Jackson gained national recognition sixty years ago as a close associate of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., participating in the historic voting rights demonstration from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. King subsequently assigned Jackson to Chicago to establish Operation Breadbasket, a Southern Christian Leadership Conference initiative designed to push corporations toward hiring African American employees.
Jackson was present with King during the assassination of the civil rights leader on April 4, 1968.
Tributes have arrived from around the globe for Jackson, with flowers accumulating outside the residence where large photographs of the smiling leader have been displayed. However, his children emphasized that family always came first for their father.
“Our father took fatherhood very seriously,” his oldest daughter, Santita Jackson, remarked. “It was his charge to keep.”
The children’s remembrances echoed the eloquent style characteristic of their late father — incorporating prayer, emotion, and occasional humor, including references to the disagreements that naturally arise in a bustling, large household.
Former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., his eldest son, explained that his father’s funeral services would welcome everyone, “Democrat, Republican, liberal and conservative, right wing, left wing — because his life is broad enough to cover the full spectrum of what it means to be an American.”
The family’s only request is that attendees show respect during the services.
“If his life becomes a turning point in our national political discourse, amen,” he stated. “His last breath is not his last breath.”
