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CHICAGO (AP) — On Thursday, a steady stream of mourners filled a Chicago auditorium to bid farewell to the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., as the first of several memorial services honoring the late civil rights icon unfolded in the city he cherished as home.
Jackson, a devoted follower of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and a two-time contender for the U.S. presidency, will lie in repose for two days at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters. This will precede commemorations in Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, where he was born.
Emotions ran high as family members wiped away tears when the casket arrived at the dignified brick building. The pathway leading up to it was adorned with flowers, and outside, attendees viewed video clips of Jackson’s powerful speeches on a large screen. Many in the crowd raised their fists in a gesture of solidarity.
Inside, Jackson’s children, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and the Rev. Al Sharpton joined a line of those paying their respects. They shook hands and embraced attendees who came to see Jackson, who lay in repose in a suit complemented by a blue shirt and tie.
“Our challenge now is ensuring that everything he fought for carries on,” Sharpton remarked to reporters. “The dreams of Dr. King and the mission of Jesse Jackson are now entrusted to us. We must rise to the occasion and continue their work.”
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,” the mayor said in a statement.
Next week, Jackson will lie in honor at the South Carolina Statehouse, followed by public services. According to Rainbow PUSH’s agenda, Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to deliver remarks; however, the governor’s office said Thursday that his participation wasn’t yet confirmed. 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, home-going services at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Family members said the services will be open to all.
“Our family is overwhelmed and overjoyed by the amazing amount of support being offered by common, ordinary people who our father’s life has come into contact with,” his eldest son, Jesse Jackson Jr., said before the services began. “This is a unique opportunity to lay down some of the political rhetoric and to lay down some of the division that deeply divides our country and to reflect upon a man who brought people together.”
The services included prayers from some of the city’s most well-known religious leaders, including Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich. Mourners of all ages — from toddlers in strollers to elderly people in wheelchairs — came to pay respects.
Video clips of his appearances at news conferences, the campaign trail and even “Sesame Street” also played inside the auditorium.
Claudette Redic, a retiree who lives in Chicago, said her family has respected Jackson, from backing his presidential ambitions to her son getting a scholarship from a program Jackson championed.
“We have generations of support,” she said. “I’m hoping we continue.”