SR0637 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0637 LRB104 21006 ECR 34890 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Reverend Jesse Jackson, who passed away on February 17, 2026; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson was a luminary of the Civil Rights Movement, a transformative politician for Illinois and the United States of America, and a faithful Baptist minister ordained in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, As a notable civil rights leader for over 60 years, Rev. Jackson was committed to working toward the betterment of all people, participating in a multitude of efforts dedicated to fighting against racial discrimination and segregation, including a sit-in at a whites-only public library in Greenville, South Carolina in 1960; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina on October 8, 1941; he attended Sterling High School, where he served as class president, was tenth in his graduating class, and participated in baseball, football, and basketball, gaining letters in all sports; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson's ties to Illinois began with him receiving a scholarship to play football at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he attended for one year; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson later moved to Chicago, where he received a Rockefeller grant and enrolled at the Chicago Theological Seminary before pursuing activism full time in the Civil Rights Movement; the following year, he and several students drove from Chicago to Selma, Alabama to join Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) on their campaign for voting rights, participating in the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery; and

WHEREAS, During this time, Rev. Jackson also worked with Dr. King to lay the groundwork for his Chicago Freedom Movement, expanding the regional impact of the Civil Rights Movement; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson worked with Dr. King to create and facilitate a branch of the SCLC in Chicago; through this diligent effort, he oversaw and led Operation Breadbasket beginning in 1967, an initiative dedicated to promoting awareness of Black-owned businesses and creating opportunities for the Black workforce, bringing nearly 5,000 jobs to the Black community over the several years it was in operation; and

WHEREAS, That same year, Rev. Jackson established Operation PUSH, initially known as People United to Save Humanity, in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago to build and strengthen the economic conditions of Black communities across America; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson later created the National Rainbow Coalition in 1984 to further the fight for equal rights for all; emphasizing his constant efforts in pursuing economic equality for marginalized communities, coalition members took a stand against policies that would impact the success of their communities and worked to support all groups negatively impacted by the economic policies of the Reagan administration; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson later departed from both Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition to continue the fight for social justice and economic equality for all people in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson launched his first presidential campaign in 1984 and his second in 1988, further cementing his dedication towards achieving social equality for all; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson demonstrated his commitment to service and community engagement by serving as a shadow delegate and shadow U.S. Senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson served as a successful advisor in international diplomacy, securing the release of captives in Syria, Iraq, and Kosovo, advocating for peace in Northern Ireland, and serving as President Bill Clinton's special envoy of democracy to Kenya; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson merged Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition in 1996 to continue his fight for Black social justice and corporate accountability; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson's dedication to the country, commitment to service, and allegiance to advancing civil rights were recognized by President Clinton, who honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in August 2000; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Jackson was the loving husband of Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson, who he married on December 31, 1962, and the proud father of Santita Jackson, Jesse Jackson Jr., Jonathan Jackson, Yusef DuBois Jackson, Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson, and Ashley Jackson; and

WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that State of Illinois honor the life of Rev. Jackson, including his unwavering commitment to public service, his unrelenting drive toward the betterment of African Americans, and his indelible impact on the Civil Rights Movement; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Rev. Jackson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.