US presidents unite to honor civil rights leader Jesse Jackson at memorial service

On Friday, former US presidents and thousands gathered at the House of Hope on Chicago’s South Side for the public memorial service to honor civil rights leader the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who died last month.

Former presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton were among those who spoke at a memorial service in Chicago for the activist.

Mourners included former Vice President Kamala Harris, filmmaker Tyler Perry, and former basketball star Isiah Thomas. Jackson, who implied worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. toward a shared goal, ran for the Democratic presidential nomination twice and founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

In his remarks at the service, Obama lauded Jackson while making a thinly veiled reference to President Donald Trump.

He said, “Each day we wake up to some new assault on our democratic institutions.”

He further stated that the late preacher inspired people to take a harder path and called on “each of us to be heralds of change.”

Former Vice President Harris received a standing ovation when she spoke at the service. She appeared to take a jab at Trump, saying, “ Let me just start out by saying: I predicted a lot of what is happening right now. I hate to say I told you, but we did see it coming.” 

However, she added that she didn't realize they would be tackling this moment without Jackson’s guidance.

In addition, civil rights leader, the Rev. AI Sharpton , who worked closely with Jackson during the civil rights movement, was also among the speakers.