02/18/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Craig Purchase
President, Rainbow PUSH Coalition – Joliet Chapter
Date: February 17, 2026
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RAINBOW PUSH COALITION – JOLIET CHAPTER
STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF REVEREND JESSE LOUIS JACKSON SR.
Joliet, Illinois — The Rainbow PUSH Coalition – Joliet Chapter joins the nation in mourning the passing of a true American hero, Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr., whose life and legacy reshaped the moral conscience of this country.
“Reverend Jesse Jackson was one of the greatest men of our time,” said Craig Purchase, President of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition – Joliet Chapter. “From the beginning of his life’s work, he dedicated himself relentlessly to justice, equality, and opportunity for all — especially for those who had too often been pushed aside and denied their full humanity.”
Reverend Jackson fought tirelessly for equal rights not only for Black and Brown Americans, but for all people whose voices had been marginalized by discrimination and injustice. He marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Jim Crow era, standing firm in moments when courage came at great personal risk.
As a two-time presidential candidate, Reverend Jackson broke barriers and expanded the American imagination. His campaigns were not merely political milestones; they were moral statements that affirmed the dignity, capability, and leadership of Black Americans on the national stage.
“Reverend Jackson once spoke four words that changed lives — ‘I am somebody,’” Purchase said. “To some, those words may sound simple today. But to children growing up in the hardest places of America, they restored dignity and affirmed worth. I was one of those children.”
Throughout his life, Reverend Jackson carried a message that became a national call to action: ‘Keep hope alive.’ It was not passive hope, but hope that organizes, acts, and endures — hope rooted in justice and sustained by faith.
“Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. did not simply challenge injustice,” Purchase added. “He transformed how people saw themselves and one another. His legacy will live on through every life he touched and every movement he inspired.”
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition – Joliet Chapter honors Reverend Jackson’s life, leadership, and lasting impact. May his memory be a blessing, and may we continue his work by doing what he taught us — keeping hope alive.
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