Memorial Services Expanded for Civil Rights Leader Rev. Jesse Jackson

Events planned in Washington, D.C. and South Carolina to honor the late activist

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Memorial services honoring the life of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. will be expanded beyond Chicago with events in Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, the late civil rights leader's organization announced. Jackson, a protégé of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate, died earlier this week at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder.

Why it matters

As a prominent civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate, Rev. Jesse Jackson's passing marks the end of an era. The expanded memorial services across multiple states highlight the national significance of Jackson's life and work in the fight for racial equality and social justice.

The details

In addition to the public celebration of life and homegoing services planned in Chicago, formal memorial events are now scheduled from March 1 to March 4 in Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, where Jackson was born and raised. Jackson's adult children gathered outside the family home in Chicago on Wednesday, vowing to continue his decades of advocacy.

  • Memorial services will be held in Washington, D.C. and South Carolina from March 1 to March 4, 2026.
  • A public celebration of life will be held at House of Hope, a 10,000-seat church in Chicago, on March 6, 2026.
  • Private homegoing services will be held at Rainbow PUSH in Chicago on March 7, 2026, and will be livestreamed.

The players

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

A prominent civil rights leader, two-time presidential candidate, and protégé of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who passed away at the age of 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder.

Santita Jackson

The eldest child of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. who vowed to continue her father's decades of advocacy.

Rainbow PUSH Coalition

The organization founded by Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. that announced the expanded memorial services.

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What they’re saying

“Although his body is absent from us, his spirit suffuses and infuses us, and it charges us to continue with the work.”

— Santita Jackson, Eldest child of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. (AP News)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

The expanded memorial services for Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. across multiple states highlight the national significance of his life and work as a prominent civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate. His passing marks the end of an era, but his family and organization have vowed to continue his decades-long advocacy for racial equality and social justice.