Expanded memorial plans for Rev. Jesse Jackson add South Carolina and Washington alongside Chicago events

Multicity observances set after Jackson’s death at 84

Memorial plans for the Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. have been expanded beyond Chicago to include formal observances in South Carolina and Washington, D.C., reflecting key places in the civil rights leader’s life and public work. Jackson died on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at age 84, with family members saying he died at home surrounded by relatives.

The updated plans outline public viewings in Chicago, additional events to be held in South Carolina and the nation’s capital during the first week of March, and a larger public celebration followed by a private homegoing service back in Chicago.

Chicago schedule: public lying-in-state, people’s celebration, and private service

In Chicago, two days of public lying-in-state are scheduled at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters, 930 E. 50th St. Doors are set to open at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 26, and Friday, February 27.

• Thursday, February 26, 2026: Lying in state at Rainbow PUSH Coalition, doors open 10 a.m.
• Friday, February 27, 2026: Lying in state at Rainbow PUSH Coalition, doors open 10 a.m.

A major public service titled “The People’s Celebration” is scheduled for Friday, March 6 at House of Hope, 752 E. 114th St., with doors opening at 9 a.m. The service is listed as running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A private homegoing celebration is scheduled for Saturday, March 7 at Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters, with doors opening at 8 a.m. and a service listed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with limited capacity.

South Carolina and Washington, D.C.: details pending as travel window is announced

The expanded program adds formal services in Jackson’s native South Carolina and in Washington, D.C., during a travel period listed from Sunday, March 1 through Thursday, March 5. Specific times and locations for the South Carolina and Washington events have not been publicly finalized in the schedule released with the expansion.

The new plans place South Carolina and Washington, D.C., between the Chicago viewings and the March 6–7 services in Chicago, signaling a structured series of observances rather than a single ceremony.

Why these sites matter in Jackson’s public life

Jackson’s career spanned organizing, coalition-building, electoral politics, and high-profile advocacy campaigns. Born in Greenville, South Carolina, he later became one of Chicago’s best-known civil rights figures and founded organizations that made the city a hub for national civil-rights and economic-justice initiatives. Washington, D.C., served as the center of the federal policy debates that Jackson engaged for decades, including voting rights, employment, education, and health care.

Jackson had faced significant health challenges in recent years tied to a rare neurodegenerative illness that affected his mobility and speech. The planned sequence of public viewings, additional formal services, and Chicago-based ceremonies indicates a memorial period expected to draw participants from multiple regions and institutions connected to his work.