Update 03/02/2026 — Plans for a service honoring the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. in Washington, D.C. have been postponed until a later date.
An additional memorial service has been added for March 5 at Rainbow PUSH headquarters, located at 930 E. 50th Street. At the moment it’s unclear when the service will begin.
Memorial services to honor the life and legacy of civil rights and political leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. will be hosted in Chicago, South Carolina and Washington, D.C., over the next week.
Chicago clergy gathered at Rainbow PUSH headquarters to pay tribute to Jackson on Feb. 21. Jackson died on Feb. 17 at 84; he was one of the most influential Black political figures since Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His historic presidential runs in 1984 and 1988, though unsuccessful, propelled him onto the national stage and inspired a new generation of political leaders, particularly Black political leaders.
Jackson was surrounded by family when he passed away on Feb. 21. He had been living with Parkinson’s Disease since 2013, but his diagnosis changed to progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurological disorder, in April 2025. Jackson spent time in the hospital last November. At the time, his family said he battled several infections consistent with the progression of his PSP diagnosis.
On Thursday and Friday, Jackson’s body will lie in state at Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters located at 930 E. 50th Street Doors open on both days at 10:00 a.m.
Formal services will be hosted in South Carolina and in Washington, D.C. this weekend through March 4. Jackson’s body will also lie in state at South Carolina’s Capitol building. He was born in Greenville, South Carolina on Oct. 8, 1941.
A People’s Celebration for Jackson will be hosted at the House of Hope on March 6. The church is located at 752 E. 114th Street. Doors open at 9:00 a.m.
A private memorial service will be hosted at Rainbow PUSH on March 7. A livestream will be shared with the public.
For updates and registration details, visit JesseJacksonLegacy.com.
