Mourners line up for blocks in Chicago to honor civil rights icon Jesse Jackson

Memorial events honoring the life and legacy of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson began in Chicago, drawing elected officials, advocates and community members to celebrate a man whose decades-long activism reshaped American politics and amplified Black communities and communities of color.

A line of mourners and supporters stretched nearly two blocks, enclosed by barricades as they awaited to see Jackson lying in repose at a public memorial service.

Images of Jackson from his early days to the height of his career played on a large screen outside of Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters, the organization Jackson founded in 1996.

Vendors stood on a nearby corner selling t-shirts, buttons and other items emblazoned with the phrase "Keep Hope Alive," a mantra that became synonymous with Jackson's activism and remains a touchstone among grassroots organizers to continue the fight for equality and justice he spent a lifetime pursuing.

Theo Scott, 82, from North Carolina, was visiting a sick relative and stopped by to honor Jackson before heading back home. "He was outstanding and his resilience is one of the things that stands out to me," she said.

Inside, the Jackson family and long-time friend Al Sharpton stood beside his glass-encased casket, shaking hands with mourners as they paid their respects.

"It's been beautiful to see the outpouring of love," Yusef Jackson, an attorney and the youngest son of Jesse Jackson, told Reuters. "We're dealing with a level of personal grief and loss that is a big gap in our household. He was our father, he was our minister and he was also our leader."

NEVER STOPPED ADVOCATING

Former U.S. representative Bobby Rush, who was sitting in the pews, said: "It's up to the younger generation to keep pushing this battle forward."

Jazmine Valadez, 32, described Jackson's life as "proof of concept" for ongoing activism. "He showed us we can do amazing things, care for one another, and build those coalitions."

Jackson, who died last week at the age of 84, was a leading advocate for voting rights and desegregation.

A close ally of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson rose to prominence as a young organizer in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He accompanied King to Memphis in 1968 in support of striking African-American sanitation workers before the late civil rights leader was assassinated.

Born in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson became one of the most recognizable Black political leaders of the late 20th century. He advocated for sanctions against apartheid in South Africa, negotiated the release of American hostages abroad and championed corporate accountability and minority business development at home.

Charles Jenkins, 50, who considered Jackson a mentor, recalled moments with him "always teaching," and that even in his declining health Jackson continued to advocate for economic justice and community needs.

"While sick, he had a goal to mobilize 2,000 churches for holiday food distribution," said Jenkins, who had visited Jackson after he was hospitalized in November. "Reverend Jackson led with love at the core, which is to have the highest form of concern for another by demonstration."

RAINBOW COALITION CAMPAIGN

Jackson built a political movement centered on economic justice and coalition-building across racial and class lines.

His two presidential campaigns mobilized millions of new voters under the banner of the “Rainbow Coalition,” pushing the Democratic Party to address issues affecting working-class Americans, farmers and communities of color.

His death comes at a time when President Donald Trump's administration has targeted U.S. institutions, from museums to monuments to national parks, to remove what the president calls "anti-American" ideology, leading to the dismantling of slavery exhibits, the restoration of Confederate statues and other moves that civil rights advocates say could reverse decades of social progress.

"His fingerprint changed the world," Charlie Dates, senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, said of Jackson. "I'm feeling a sense of responsibility. So much despair and anxiety is rampant, but we cannot fear, we have to work towards better."

Next week, a musical tribute titled “The People’s Celebration,” featuring gospel choirs, will honor Jackson at the House of Hope, a Baptist church. A private homegoing celebration of life is set for March 7 at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters.

-Bianca Flowers/Reuters