February really hit different this year.
During Black History Month, we lost one of our own. Not just a name in a textbook — but a real Chicago force. Jesse Jackson has transitioned, and whether you agreed with him, studied him, or just grew up hearing his name in the background of grown folks’ conversations, you knew he mattered.
Born in Greenville but built in Chicago, Reverend Jackson organized, marched, negotiated, and showed up. From working alongside Martin Luther King Jr. to founding Rainbow PUSH Coalition right here in our city, he made Chicago a headquarters for Black political power. Not just symbolism — strategy.
And let’s be clear: running for president in the ‘80s wasn’t small. It shifted what felt possible. It expanded the imagination of what Black leadership on a national stage could look like.
Black History Month is about legacy. It’s about remembering the people who pushed doors open — sometimes politely, sometimes by force. Reverend Jackson was one of those door-pushers.
Chicago doesn’t produce ordinary. We produce movement.
Rest in power to a man who believed in collective power, who preached hope even when the headlines were heavy, and who helped shape the political language many still use today.
Black History Month just became even more personal.
