Jesse Jackson hailed as ‘ambassador of hope’ at memorial attended by Clintons, Obama and Biden | Jesse Jackson
At a memorial celebration for the longtime civil rights activist Friday, the Rev. Jesse Jackson was remembered as a “champion” of the “poor and dispossessed” as well as “one of the most effective community and political organizers of our time.”
Such praise came from past Democratic US presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, as well as former vice president Kamala Harris. Harris received cheers and applause as she joined thousands of people at a Chicago church to celebrate Jackson’s life.
Crowds formed long lines outside the church on Chicago’s South Side; TV screens showed summaries of some of the best-known speeches by Jackson, who spent more than half a century in public life and launched a strong campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988.
Vendors on the site were selling hoodies with the slogan “I am someone.”
Obama received a standing ovation when he took the stage to praise Jackson, whom he likened to the prophet Isaiah in his speeches.
Obama stated that Jackson was “a champion of the poor and dispossessed, a man who stepped forward again and again and said ‘send me’ when the country needed healing.”
Obama added that Jackson’s first presidential campaign inspired him and drew him to Chicago, the city they both call home.
“In his ideas and his platform, in his analysis, in his intelligence and insight, Jesse didn’t just stand by himself,” Obama said. “He owned the stage.”
Twenty years after Jackson’s second presidential campaign, Obama became the first Black US president. He credited Jackson with helping achieve this milestone.
Obama said Jackson was “not a hospitable person, he’s not an impersonator.” “It belonged on that stage. And the message a single mother sent to her strangely named 22-year-old was that there is no stranger, no place, no room where we don’t belong.”
Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker, meanwhile, described Jackson as “an ambassador of hope for the oppressed who met with kings, queens, presidents, dictators and clerics of all major religions.”
“But here in Chicago, he was our neighbor. He was our friend. We were so proud. We were so proud.”
In his speech, Biden expressed his deep admiration for Jackson, describing him as “underrated, driven and fearless.”
“We had very different backgrounds and, in some cases, different views, but never on race,” Biden said. “Sometimes we would clash and disagree on issues. But that’s what I admired most about Jesse, his passion. His courage in his convictions.”
Biden also criticized Donald Trump’s administration and said its values were contrary to those of the people gathered at the ceremony. “We’re in a tough situation, guys,” Biden said. “We have an administration that does not share any of the values we have.
“And I don’t think I’m exaggerating one bit.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who often referred to Jackson as a mentor, echoed Biden’s sentiments about the Trump administration.
“We’re on the verge of undoing some of the most serious rebuilding we’ve seen in modern times,” said Sharpton, who shares a decades-long close friendship with Jackson. “Leaving here and not fulfilling a mission is not what Jesse Jackson taught us.”
The civil rights activist also said simultaneously with the memorial that those in power are “killing illegal immigrants” while harming Americans by cutting the Affordable Care Act.
“We won’t go back!” Sharpton ended his speech with applause. “We won’t go back!”
Harris opened her remarks by saying, “Let me just say that I’m anticipating a lot about what’s going on right now,” referring to her unsuccessful run against Trump for the White House.
“I don’t want to say ‘I told you so,’ but we saw this coming. But I didn’t realize we wouldn’t have Jesse Jackson on our side right now to help us get through this.”
Harris praised Jackson as a “strategist” and added: “Even though the doors in front of him were barred and bolted, he didn’t waste time waiting, even if those on the other side hesitated or ignored him. He always found a way through.”
“He was one of the most effective social and political organizers of our time. And he was the founder – I think most would agree – the founder of the modern progressive coalition.”
Jackson, 84, died on February 17 after struggling with a rare neurological disorder that impaired his mobility and speech. Relatives said he continued to come to the office until late 2025 and used hand signals to communicate.
His last public appearances included the 2024 Democratic national convention in Chicago.
For decades, Jackson’s activism took him around the world speaking on behalf of marginalized communities.
Their efforts addressed issues such as voting rights, access to health care, employment opportunities and education. Among his other accomplishments, he encouraged corporate executives to increase opportunity and justice in American society.
“I was a pioneer, a pathfinder,” Jackson said in an interview with The Guardian in May 2020. “I had to deal with doubt, suspicion, and fear about a black person entering the race [for president]. There were Black academics writing articles about why I was wasting my time. Even Black people said a Black man couldn’t win.”
Plans for a commemorative event in Washington DC were postponed after US House speaker Mike Johnson rejected Offer to Jackson to lie in his honor in the Capitol rotunda. Jackson argued that the field is generally reserved for a limited number of officials, including former presidents.
No further details about the future ceremony have been announced.
Associated Press contributed reporting
