Rev. Jesse Jackson's Family Holds Private Homegoing Service

Celebration of civil rights leader's life continues with intimate gathering at Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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A day after a public, televised celebration of the life of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. attended by former presidents and other dignitaries, his family and closest friends will gather for a private memorial service at the headquarters of his Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Chicago. The homegoing service will include only a few hundred attendees, mostly family members, allies and confidants, and will serve as a capstone to a week of commemorations honoring Jackson's legacy of civil rights activism.

Why it matters

Rev. Jesse Jackson was a towering figure in the civil rights movement, known for his work on issues like voting rights, economic inequality and political organizing. His private homegoing service allows his family and inner circle to grieve and celebrate his life more intimately, away from the public spotlight that shone on the earlier commemorations.

The details

The private memorial service will take place at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters on Chicago's South Side. Seats will be first-come, first-served, and the service is expected to include eulogies, prayers and reflections on Jackson's life and work. In the weeks since his passing, Jackson's family and allies have honored him with public visitations, a lying-in-state ceremony in South Carolina, and events celebrating his legacy as a civil rights leader and mentor.

  • The private homegoing service will take place the day after a public, televised celebration of Jackson's life.
  • Jackson's body previously lay in state at the South Carolina Capitol, where he grew up during segregation.

The players

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

A prominent civil rights leader who dedicated his life to fighting for racial equality, economic justice and political empowerment.

Rainbow PUSH Coalition

The organization founded by Rev. Jackson to continue his work on civil rights, social justice and community empowerment.

Rev. Chauncey D. Brown

A pastor to a Chicago-area church and mentee of Rev. Jackson's.

Michael Barksdale Jr.

A Chicago public school counselor who first met Rev. Jackson as a high school freshman and was awarded a college scholarship by the PUSH Coalition.

Carol Moseley Braun

The first Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate, who was supported by Rev. Jackson in her successful 1992 election campaign.

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What they’re saying

“I foresee tomorrow will represent everything that Rev. Jackson stood for. It will include dignitaries and icons, as well as many from where the true power lies, with the people in the streets.”

— Rev. Chauncey D. Brown, Pastor (wbal.com)

“It is up to my generation now to continue that legacy of Jackson and all the civil rights dignitaries who came before. They did all of the heavy lifting, and we are going to continue to build.”

— Michael Barksdale Jr., Chicago public school counselor (wbal.com)

What’s next

On Sunday, members of the Jackson family and many of his mentees will travel to Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 'Bloody Sunday' protest marches when civil rights activists were beaten by police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 - an event that Rev. Jackson himself often attended.

The takeaway

Rev. Jesse Jackson's private homegoing service allows his closest family and allies to grieve and celebrate his life more intimately, honoring his decades-long legacy as a tireless champion for civil rights, social justice and political empowerment for the Black community and all marginalized groups.