National ‘People’s Celebration’ Funeral for Civil‑Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Features Obama, Biden and Clinton Eulogies in Chicago
The national “People’s Celebration” funeral for civil‑rights leader Jesse Jackson was held Friday at the House of Hope megachurch on Chicago’s Far South Side — an open, public “homegoing” service that began at 11 a.m. CT (12 p.m. ET) and drew thousands despite storm threats. The service featured eulogies and remarks from former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and President Joe Biden, and included other national figures such as Vice President Kamala Harris, with musical performances by Jennifer Hudson and gospel singers BeBe and Marvin Winans; Jackson’s family had sought but was denied a request for him to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. Several speakers, including Obama and Biden, used their remarks to praise Jackson’s lifelong advocacy for the poor and dispossessed and to warn against fear‑mongering and assaults on democratic values.
📌 Key Facts
- The funeral, formally titled "The People's Celebration," was held Friday at the House of Hope megachurch on Chicago’s Far South Side (10,000 capacity); the service began at 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET and was carried live by outlets including PBS and CBS.
- President Joe Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton each delivered remarks at the Chicago memorial; former Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended.
- Musical performances included Jennifer Hudson and gospel artists BeBe Winans and Pastor Marvin Winans.
- Speakers used their eulogies to both praise Jackson’s civil‑rights legacy and critique current politics: Obama credited Jackson with reshaping the Democratic primary process, championing the poor and helping make Obama viable as a candidate, and warned against fear and division; Biden criticized the Trump administration’s values and rhetoric; Harris praised Jackson’s "impatience" in breaking barriers and made an indirect jab at current events.
- The event drew thousands (with people lined up despite the threat of severe storms) and the arrivals of Obama, Biden and Clinton were met with cheers; Sen. Dick Durbin called Jackson "a force in politics," noting he was both controversial and admired and often offered political advice.
- Jesse Jackson Jr. said the "homegoing" services were "welcome to all" across the political spectrum, framing the gathering as a place to discuss differences and move forward together.
- The Jackson family said Jesse Jackson died peacefully Tuesday morning surrounded by family and described him as a "servant leader" for the oppressed and voiceless.
- A request for Jackson to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol rotunda was denied by House Speaker Mike Johnson; plans for any future Washington, D.C., events remain unspecified.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2021, 27.6 percent of African Americans over the age of 25 had obtained at least a bachelor's degree, compared to 48.2 percent for non-Hispanic Whites.
The Persistent Racial Gap in Educational Attainment in the United States — The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
In the third quarter of 2024, the national Black-White unemployment ratio was 2.0-to-1, meaning Black workers were twice as likely as their White counterparts to be unemployed.
2024 Q3 | State Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity — Economic Policy Institute
In 2022, life expectancy at birth increased by 1.6 years for the Black non-Hispanic population to 72.8 years, while it was higher for the White non-Hispanic population at approximately 76.9 years.
National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 74, Number 4 June 10, 2025 Deaths: Final Data for 2022 — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
📰 Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that former Presidents Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, as well as former Vice President Kamala Harris, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, all delivered remarks at Jackson’s Chicago memorial service.
- Details Obama’s substantive comments crediting Jackson with reshaping the Democratic primary system in 1984 in ways that later benefited figures like Bill Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and with paving the way for Obama’s own viability as a presidential candidate.
- Reports that Obama and Biden used their eulogies to criticize the current Trump administration’s values and rhetoric, with Obama warning Americans are being told to fear and turn on each other and Biden saying the Trump administration 'doesn’t share any of the values that we have.'
- Quotes Harris praising Jackson’s 'impatience' in breaking barriers and noting she had previously 'predicted a lot about what’s happening right now,' a clear, if indirect, jab at current events under Trump.
- Barack Obama did speak at the funeral, not just appear, delivering a eulogy for Rev. Jesse Jackson.
- Obama described Jackson as a man with 'immense gifts' who 'stepped forward' to help heal the country.
- Obama highlighted Jackson’s role in championing the poor and dispossessed in his remarks.
- Confirms that former Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton are each scheduled to speak at the service and were met with cheers as they entered.
- Specifies additional notable attendees: former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rev. Al Sharpton and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
- Repeats key details from Jackson family’s public statement on his death, emphasizing that he died peacefully Tuesday morning surrounded by family and that they describe him as a 'servant leader' to the oppressed and voiceless.
- Funeral is formally titled 'The People's Celebration' and is being held at the House of Hope megachurch on Chicago’s Far South Side, which can seat 10,000 and has thousands lined up despite the threat of severe storms.
- The service is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET and is open to the public as well as invited guests.
- CBS confirms attendance by former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and First Lady Jill Biden, along with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Rep. Maxine Waters and Cubs owner Tom Ricketts.
- Musical performances will include Jennifer Hudson and gospel singers BeBe Winans and Pastor Marvin Winans.
- Sen. Dick Durbin, speaking on arrival, called Jackson 'a force in politics,' noted he was controversial as well as admired, and said Jackson regularly called him with political advice.
- The Chicago celebration of life service is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. EST on Friday and is being carried live (including by PBS).
- Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s program lists former Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, and former Vice President Kamala Harris as speakers, with gospel singer BeBe Winans among the musical performers.
- Jesse Jackson Jr. emphasizes that the 'homegoing services are welcome to all' across the political spectrum and frames the gathering as a place to 'discuss our differences' and 'move forward and move together.'
- The article reiterates that a request for Jackson to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol rotunda was denied by House Speaker Mike Johnson, and that plans for any future Washington, D.C., event remain unspecified.