West Side Clergy Remember Life and Legacy of Jesse Jackson, Push for Voting Bill Named After Him  

Hundreds of clergy members, elected officials, and community leaders gathered Feb. 21 at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in the South Side Kenwood neighborhood to honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson while calling for renewed civic engagement through a new youth voting proposal bearing his name.

The “Keep Hope Alive: Faith and Community Leaders Tribute,” held at 930 E. 50th St., came days after Jackson’s death on Feb. 17 at age 84. West Side pastors who worked alongside the longtime civil rights leader reflected on his organizing legacy, his economic justice campaigns, and his decades-long push to expand voter participation.

The event also took on a legislative focus when Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced support for the Jesse L. Jackson Sr. Young Voters Empowerment Act (House Bill 4339). The proposal would allow eligible students to register to vote while still in high school — a measure Welch said reflects Jackson’s lifelong commitment to expanding democratic participation.

“We will pass House Bill 4339, and we will do it by working together,” Welch told the crowd, describing Jackson as a leader who “expanded voting rights, demanded economic inclusion, and registered millions of new voters.”

Clergy recall organizing legacy

Several West Side pastors tied Jackson’s activism to their own callings, emphasizing how his work informed their social justice approach to ministry. 

Rev. Michael Eady, pastor of People’s Church of the Harvest in Garfield Park, recalled participating as a child in the 1963 Chicago Public Schools boycott, an effort led by Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackson that highlighted overcrowded and unequal learning conditions. He said those early organizing efforts planted the seeds for his later ministry.

“Rev. Jackson gave leadership to improving conditions in Black communities through boycotts and negotiations,” Eady said, noting that Operation Breadbasket, which Rev. King directed Jackson to head in 1966, secured thousands of jobs and generated millions in economic gains for Black workers.

Rev. Dr. Phalese Binyon, president and CEO of the Westside Ministers Coalition, said Jackson’s message of hope shaped her faith journey from childhood. 

“That slogan, ‘Keep Hope Alive,’ meant hope in every aspect of life,” she said. “It became part of who I am.” 

Rev. John Harrell, pastor of Chicago Northside New Hope MB Church in West Humboldt Park and Proviso Baptist Church in west suburban Maywood, described Jackson as a bridge between protest movements and policy change.

 “His rallying cry was more than a slogan — it became a sustaining anthem for generations,” Harrell said. 

Rev. Ira Acree, pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church in Austin and a Rainbow PUSH West leader, recalled first hearing Jackson speak as a college student during the Reagan era. 

“Hope seemed like a rumor,” Acree said. “Then he thundered, ‘Keep hope alive.’” 

Rev. Marshall Hatch Sr., pastor of New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s national director of Religious Affairs, framed Jackson’s passing as both a spiritual and political moment, urging continued voter registration efforts during an election year. He also noted that Jackson’s death falls on the 100th anniversary of Black History Month and during a pivotal midterm election. 

“This champion has made his transition, and in his transition, he’s given us an incredible gift,” Hatch said. “Number one is the divine poetry of Rev. Jackson, making his transition in African American History Month, the 100th anniversary. There is a God who is in charge. Then he’s given us the gift of making his transition during this critical year of the midterm elections. He’s given us a motivation to register to vote, to vote, and to take America not back but froward.”

Proposed voting legislation 

Supporters said House Bill 4339, which was introduced by state Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet, aims to institutionalize Jackson’s focus on civic participation by making voter registration more accessible to young people. Under the proposal, eligible high school students could register to vote through school-based initiatives, potentially increasing youth turnout statewide.

Advocates at the tribute said they hope the legislation could serve as a model for similar efforts across the country. 

In his remarks, Welch called Jackson’s presidential campaigns and grassroots organizing a blueprint for engaging new generations in the political process.

“As the first Black speaker of the Illinois House, I stand here knowing my journey — and so many others — was made possible by the path he paved,” Welch said. 

For information on service times and other arrangements, visit jessejacksonlegacy.com.