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On Friday, March 6, 2026, Chicago welcomed thousands from across the country to celebrate the life of Rev. Jesse Jackson. The nearly five-hour homegoing service at House of Hope in the city’s historic Pullman neighborhood was as much a national moment as it was a local one, a fitting farewell to the civil rights icon and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Attendees came early and from far and wide. Life-long South Sider Chelley Carter arrived at 7 a.m. for a service that began nearly five hours later. “Rev. Jackson stood up for all of us,” Carter said. “So it’s so nice to see everyone come out and stand up for him.” Others traveled from Tennessee, California, and beyond to pay their respects. “This is an opportunity to tell our children and grandchildren that we were at Jesse Jackson’s funeral,” said Prenia Smith of Memphis.
Notable faith leaders, activists, and political figures joined the celebration, including former U.S. Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Inside the sanctuary, speakers emphasized Jackson’s lifelong advocacy for the marginalized — those he famously described as “the least, the lost, and the left out.”
“Each day we wake up to challenges to our democracy,” said former President Obama. “But this man — Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson — inspires us to take a harder path. His voice calls on each of us to be heralds of change … because if we don’t step up, nobody else will.”
The service blended music, prayer, and scripture, featuring performances from Hezekiah Walker and Jennifer Hudson. Choirs lifted familiar gospel hymns while faith leaders framed Jackson’s life as a ministry of justice, connecting faith with public service. “I do think of this room as renewing my faith in what is possible,” said Vice President Harris.
Rev. Al Sharpton reminded the crowd, “We come this far by faith. We were not free in 1776; we got here in 1619. We are still here, and we come this far by faith.”
Throughout the service, Jackson’s message to “Keep Hope Alive” resonated, inspiring reflection on today’s civil rights challenges and the road ahead. “We just wonder what’s next,” said Carter. “Who’s going to have our backs and stand up for us now?”
“His legacy isn’t just what he meant to Chicago — it’s the challenge he’s left behind,” reflected Chicago historian Sherman “Dilla” Thomas. “When we lose someone like this, who steps up? Jackson could have chased wealth and walked away. Instead, he chose a lifetime of sacrifice for people who would outlive him.”