Former Democratic presidents remember the late Rev. Jesse Jackson during
final public tribute
[March 07, 2026]
By SOPHIA TAREEN and MATT BROWN
CHICAGO (AP) — From former presidents to an NBA Hall of Famer to
prominent pastors, stories of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.’s influence on
politics, corporate boardrooms and picket lines loomed large Friday at a
celebration honoring the late civil rights leader.
The public tribute — with appearances by Grammy-winning gospel singers
and Jennifer Hudson — felt at times like a church service and others
like a political rally. Many, from former President Bill Clinton to the
Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader and founder of the National
Action Network, likened Jackson’s death to a call to action, from
speaking out against justice to voting in the midterms.
Former President Barack Obama said Jackson's presidential runs in the
1980s set the stage for other Black leaders, including his own
successful 2009 presidency and reelection.
“The message he sent to a 22-year-old child of a single mother with a
funny name, an outsider, was that maybe there wasn’t any place or any
room where we didn’t belong,” Obama said to the boisterous crowd of
thousands. “He paved the road for so many others to follow."
The event drew a slew of elected U.S. leaders. Other notable attendees
included actor and producer Tyler Perry, California Gov. Gavin Newsom,
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, and political activist and theologian
Cornel West. Detroit Pistons great and Chicago native Isiah Thomas also
spoke at the event that lasted five hours.
The crowd gave an especially warm welcome to Obama, who launched his
political career in Chicago, and credited Jackson with keeping him on
his toes. He said he was grateful to Jackson for providing a “legacy of
hope" in contrast with the current Republican leadership in Washington.
“We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope,” Obama said. “Each
day we wake up to some new assault to our democratic institutions.
Another setback to the idea of the rule of law, an offense to common
decency. Every day you wake up to things you just didn’t think were
possible.”
Clinton said Jackson made him a better president, while former
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris talked about Jackson's inspiring
1980s presidential runs and showed off campaign memorabilia she had kept
from them. Former President Joe Biden also spoke during the service.
President Donald Trump, who praised Jackson on social media after he
died and also shared photos of the two of them, did not attend.
Thousands attend Jackson memorial service
The event honoring the protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and
two-time presidential candidate followed memorial services that drew
large crowds in Chicago and South Carolina, where Jackson was born.
Friday’s celebration — at an influential Black church with a 10,000-seat
arena — was the largest.
Attendees waited in long lines outside the church as television screens
played excerpts of some of Jackson’s most famous speeches. Inside,
vendors sold pins with his 1984 presidential slogan and hoodies with his
“I Am Somebody” mantra.
Marketing professional Chelsia Bryan said Friday that she decided to
attend for the "chance to be part of something historic.”
“As a Black woman, knowing that someone pretty much gave their life,
dedicated their life to make sure I can do the things that I can do now,
he’s worth honoring,” Bryan said.
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From left, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, former
President Barack Obama, former first lady Jill Biden, and former
President Joe Biden attend the Public Homegoing Service for Rev.
Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday, March 6,
2026. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Jackson Jr.: Everyone has a Jackson story
Jackson died last month at age 84 after battling a rare neurological
disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak. His final
public appearances included the 2024 Democratic National Convention
in Chicago.
"Every single person in here has a Jesse Jackson story,” his eldest
son, Jesse Jackson Jr., said to the crowd. “The time he shook your
hand, the time he prayed for you, the time he held you up, the time
he prayed the funeral for somebody you know ... and he prayed you to
a new course of existence.”
Sitting in the crowd was 90-year-old Mary Lovett. She said Jackson’s
advocacy inspired her many times, from when she moved from
Mississippi to Chicago in the 1960s, taught elementary school and
became a mom. She voted for Jackson during his presidential runs and
appreciated how he always spoke up for underrepresented people.
“He’s gone, but I hope his legacy lives,” she said. “I hope we can
remember what he tried to teach us.”
Jackson's service was to the poor, underrepresented
Jackson's pursuits were countless, taking him to all corners of the
globe: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues
including voting rights, health care, job opportunities and
education. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and
through 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.
Sharpton, who considered the late reverend a lifelong mentor, said
he hoped attendees would take home some of the “Jackson fire.”
“Don’t sit here so holy and sanctified and act like you have no
assignment yourself,” he said to the increasingly boisterous crowd.
“We didn’t come this far to turn around now.”
Another son, Yusef Jackson, who runs the Rainbow PUSH Coalition,
recalled how his father carried a well-worn Bible but also showed
his faith by showing up to picket lines.
“He lived a revolutionary Christian faith rooted in justice,
nonviolence and the moral righteousness,” he said. “He was deeply
involved in the political struggles of his time, but his gift was
that he could rise above them. It’s not about the left wing or the
right wing. It takes two wings to fly. For him, the goal was always
the moral center.”
A final homegoing service was scheduled for Saturday at Rainbow PUSH
Coalition.
Services in Washington, D.C., were tabled after a request to allow
Jackson to lie in honor in the United States Capitol rotunda was
denied by House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said the space is
typically reserved for select officials, including former
presidents.
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