After nearly five hours, including the time that many mourning the Rev. Jesse Jackson spent waiting to get inside the House of Hope Convention and Event Center in Chicago on Friday, the homegoing for the civil rights icon came to a close after a host of speakers gave their memories and praise.
Even the allotted time, as one speaker noted, was still not enough to capture Jackson’s distinguished career as an activist in the Civil Rights Movement. From Rev. Michael Pfleger’s opening remarks to Rep. Maxine Waters’s closing comments, speaker after speaker took a portion of Jackson’s illustrious resumé to highlight. “He spoke with the voice of a poet,” said Rabbi Sharon Brous, who noted that she was glad to be included in his “beloved community.”
Former Judge Greg Mathis, one of my former students at Wayne State University in Detroit, recounted his association with Jackson: “He convinced me to take the television program from where I could spread the message of hope.” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker compared Jackson to “a mighty river … inspiring us all with his words and deeds. And he belonged to Chicago.”
Brandon Johnson, Chicago’s mayor, agreed with the governor and added that Jackson was “a master negotiator with a God-given ability to bring people together.” Among the several ministers who served as emcees were Rev. Charles Jenkins and Rev. James Meeks, and they bracketed a performance by Opal Staples, whose rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” took the event to another level of exuberance.
Multilingual attorney CK Hoffler, chair of the Rainbow Push Coalition founded by Jackson, elaborated on Jackson’s leadership. Although Jackson is gone, she said, the organization continues. She offered praise to the Jackson family and appreciation for the solidarity shown by many in attendance.
One of the event’s most moving moments was the recollection delivered by NBA immortal Isiah Thomas. “When the world was trying to make us into nobodies,” he said, “Jesse made us into somebodies, especially me. He lifted us up on his broad shoulders!”
As is his wont, former president Barack Obama — who was preceded by two other presidents at the service, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden — didn’t miss a beat when he began his time at the podium with quotes from the Book of Isaiah, particularly repeating the words “Send Me,” denoting God’s call for service. Whether as a student leader or on the athletic field, Obama recited, “Send me!” When Jackson ran for president, Obama said that was another “Send me” moment.
“He came up short in these attempts, but he paved the way for others,” Obama said, without stating the obvious.
Following him on the podium was songstress Jennifer Hudson, who rocked the joint with her powerful rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton, echoing another phrase often attributed to his mentor, said, “We came this far by faith,” stressing the movement Jackson helped to spur. “And we are not going to turn back. We won’t go back,” he said, in a message intended for Donald Trump.
Former Congressmember Jesse Jackson Jr. enlivened the service, particularly with his story about his father’s fortuitous encounter with the great theologian Howard Thurman. Moreover, he revealed some personal information about his father’s preference for a flip phone and said the best thing about his father was being “not political, but psychological,” a thought that hung in the air as he departed.
When Waters commanded the microphone, she only had a chance to say that “Jesse Jackson changed my life” before technical difficulties occurred. However, that was probably a good place to end — her words were shared by many in the audience and viewers who felt the same way about the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s passage among us.