March 2, 2026:
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. is returning to South Carolina for a final public farewell. Jackson will lie in state at the Capitol in Columbia on Monday (March 2, 2026). The tribute contrasts with his childhood in segregated Greenville. In 1960, Jackson led Black students into a whites-only library to read until police arrested them. That protest started his civil rights career. U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina says he could never have served 33 years in Congress without Jackson’s civil rights work. Jackson died on Feb. 17 at age 84 in Chicago.
Feb. 26, 2026:
CHICAGO (AP) — Memorial services for the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. begin in Chicago and stretch across the country to honor his long civil rights legacy. Starting Thursday (Feb. 26, 2026), he lies in repose for two days at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters. Events also take place in Washington, D.C., and in South Carolina, where he was born and began his activism. Jackson died last week at 84 after a rare neurological disorder limited his mobility and speech. Tributes have spread worldwide. Chicago’s L trains have used digital screens to display Jackson’s portrait and his well-known mantra, “I am Somebody!” His family says the services are open to all.
Feb. 17, 2026:
CHICAGO (AP) — The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson has died. He was 84. Jackson was a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King and became a leader of the Civil Rights Movement for decades after King was assassinated in 1968. A two-time presidential candidate, Jackson led a lifetime of political crusades. He advocated for the poor and underrepresented on issues from voting rights and job opportunities to education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders and channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms. He used his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to pressure executives to make America a more open and equitable society. His family confirmed he died Tuesday (Feb. 17, 2026).
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