Memorial services for Jesse Jackson begin at Chicago headquarters of his civil rights organization


CHICAGO (AP) — Cross-country memorial services for the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. are set to begin Thursday in Chicago, the city the late civil rights leader called home.

The protégé of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate will lie in repose for two days at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition before events in Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, where he was born.

“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.

Jackson died last week at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak in his later years.

Remembrances have already poured in from around the globe, and several U.S. states, including Minnesota, Iowa and North Carolina, are flying flags at half-staff in his honor.

But perhaps nowhere has his death been felt as strongly as in the nation’s third-largest city, where Jackson lived for decades and raised his six children, including a son who is a congressman.

Bouquets have been left outside the family’s Tudor-style home on the city’s South Side for days. Public schools have offered condolences, and city trains have used digital screens to display Jackson’s portrait and his well-known mantra, “I am Somebody!”

His causes, both in the United States and abroad, were countless: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues including voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through his Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.

“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.

Next week, Jackson will lie in honor at the South Carolina Statehouse, followed by public services with remarks from Gov. Henry McMaster and a wreath placement ceremony. Jackson spent his childhood and started his activism in South Carolina.

Details on services in Washington have not yet been made public. However, he will not lie in honor at the United States Capitol rotunda after a request for the commemoration was denied by the House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office.

The two weeks of events will wrap up next week with a large celebration of life gathering at a Chicago megachurch and finally, homegoing services at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Family members said the services will be open to all.

“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.”

Sophia Tareen, The Associated Press



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Get ready for the ‘Blame-it-all-on Trudeau Budget’ – don’t expect many other surprises either

    This afternoon, Finance Minister Nate Horner will rise in the Legislature to read Alberta’s Budget Speech. One hopes Mr. Horner has bought himself a nice new pair of shoes, as…

    Kilmar Abrego Garcia asks US judge in Tennessee to dismiss his criminal case, saying it’s vindictive

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Attorneys for Kilmar Abrego Garcia will try to persuade a federal judge in Tennessee on Thursday to throw out human smuggling charges against him. Abrego Garcia,…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Starmer, Polanski and Farage in final pitch to voters as polls open in Gorton and Denton byelection – UK politics live | Politics

    Starmer, Polanski and Farage in final pitch to voters as polls open in Gorton and Denton byelection – UK politics live | Politics

    Patel Fires F.B.I. Personnel Tied to Inquiry Into Trump and Classified Records

    Canadian government demands safety changes from OpenAI

    Canadian government demands safety changes from OpenAI

    Drax Rises to 20-Year High After Earnings Beat Expectations

    All trade, no costumes: What to know about Carney’s trip to India, as government details security shift

    Transfer rumors, news: Real Madrid interested in Arsenal’s Gabriel

    Transfer rumors, news: Real Madrid interested in Arsenal’s Gabriel