A high-level Nigerian delegation joined thousands in Chicago this weekend to bid a final farewell to Reverend Jesse Jackson, the American civil rights icon whose decades of activism left an indelible mark on African liberation and global human rights.
The five-person team, dispatched by President Bola Tinubu, arrived for the concluding ceremonies of a multi-state memorial tour. The delegation was led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and included Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy.
In an official statement released by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu hailed the late minister as a "great friend of Nigeria and Africa" and a "formidable resistance to apartheid". The Nigerian leader emphasised Jackson’s pivotal role in securing the release of Nelson Mandela and mobilising international sanctions against the former South African regime.
The weekend tributes reached a crescendo on Friday during "The People’s Celebration" at the House of Hope. The public service drew former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden alongside international dignitaries. Attendees echoed Jackson’s signature mantra, "Keep hope alive", while speakers reflected on his two historic runs for the U.S. presidency and his mediation of global conflicts.
The final homegoing service took place Saturday at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters, the organisation Jackson founded. At this more intimate gathering, Jackson’s son, Representative Jonathan Jackson, told the mourners that his father was often "vilified for his stand on equality" but remained undeterred in his quest for a "rainbow coalition" of humanity.
Jackson, who died February 17 at age 84 was laid to rest at Oak Woods Cemetery.