Thousands gathered in Chicago on Friday to honour the life of the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader who died on 17 February at the age of 84. The memorial service, held at a South Side arena, was attended by former US presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, as well as former vice-president Kamala Harris.
Obama, who received a standing ovation, eulogised Jackson as a champion for the poor and dispossessed who “stepped forward again and again and again”. He credited Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign with inspiring him to move to Chicago and helping to pave the way for his own historic election as the first Black US president.
Biden described Jackson as “underrated, undeterred and unafraid”, and praised his passion and conviction. He also criticised the Trump administration, saying its values were at odds with those of the gathered mourners. The Reverend Al Sharpton echoed that sentiment, warning against rolling back civil rights achievements.
Harris, who drew applause, noted that Jackson was a strategist who “always devised a way through” barriers. She called him “one of the most effective community and political organizers of our time” and the founder of the modern progressive coalition. Outside the venue, vendors sold hoodies bearing Jackson’s slogan “I am somebody”.
