At the Chicago headquarters of Rainbow PUSH, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s six children offered deeply personal, emotional remembrances at a private homegoing service on Saturday. The gathering, held at the social justice organization’s offices, contrasted with Friday’s large public memorial, but no less powerfully honored their father.
Each child spoke or performed. Santita Jackson delivered a stirring rendition of Andrae Crouch’s hymn My Tribute (To God Be The Glory). Several of the children, including Jesse Jackson Jr. and Yusuf Jackson Sr., had also taken part in Friday’s public event, The People’s Celebration, at House of Hope on Chicago’s Far South Side, where national leaders focused on Jackson’s public legacy.
While speakers at the public memorial—among them former presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton—noted Jackson’s role in the civil rights movement, politics and advocacy, his children painted intimate portraits of the man they knew at home: a father, mentor and constant presence.
Yusuf Jackson Sr. spoke of his parents’ belief in a stable foundation for every child, saying their father taught that children deserve loving families, supportive churches and neighborhoods with opportunity. He reflected on how a visit with his father, even during illness, could lift one’s spirits.
U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson recalled childhood embarrassment over his father’s regular protests and boycotts, admitting he did not then grasp the fight for economic inclusion. As he matured, that embarrassment turned to pride. He described Jesse Jackson as friend, hero, pastor, confidant and political adviser, and said his father’s steadiness was a guiding force during difficult moments.
Ashley Jackson, the youngest sibling, shared memories of a road trip through the South to the house in South Carolina where their father was born. She said the journey became a lesson in the Civil Rights Movement and family history, and spoke of deep gratitude for the love her father gave her over 26 years. She closed with a promise to carry his memory forward.
Dr. Jaqueline Jackson II, an author and peace activist, recalled how her father patiently helped her with reading and math when she struggled in school and embraced her introverted nature. As his health declined, she described how caregiving roles shifted and how simple, steadfast love defined their bond.
Jesse Jackson Jr. became emotional as he told of his parents’ early relationship, the weight of carrying his father’s name into his own political life, and the support his father offered during the hardest chapters of his career, including a conviction for campaign fraud. He described a prison visit when his father urged him not to give up, to hold his head high and keep going. Jackson Jr. ended his remarks with a tearful salute to his father and a call to ‘rise.’
The homegoing service gave attendees a private, family-centered view of a man widely known for his national influence. In those intimate reflections, Jackson’s children revealed the private lessons, comforts and challenges that shaped the family behind the public figure, adding a personal dimension to the broader tributes to his life and work.