Thousands attend Rev. Jesse Jackson's visitation

A defining chapter in Chicago's civil rights history began closing Thursday as mourners gathered to honor the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow PUSH headquarters.

The big picture: This week's visitation marks the passing of one of Chicago's most consequential political figures and a civil rights leader who twice sought the Democratic presidential nomination and built a global movement from the South Side.

What they're saying: "Rev. Jackson meant so much to people around the globe and to me personally as a mentor and a friend and a brother. He will be forever missed," Mayor Brandon Johnson said outside the building Thursday morning.

• "I am forever grateful for his life and legacy and the transformation he has brought to the world."
• "[Today] gives us an opportunity to reflect on how we got here," Johnson said. "As we think about the attacks coming from the federal government, all the things Rev. Jackson fought for are under attack. My hope and prayer is that people recognize what our assignment is in this season: that hope is only alive if we show up in resistance."
• "This is a time to lay down some of the rhetoric that deeply divides our country and reflect on a man who brought people together, " Jesse Jackson Jr. said Thursday morning outside his father's visitation.

Along the line: Thursday morning, a VIP entrance welcomed the Rev. Al Sharpton, aldermen and local politicians, while a public line along Drexel Boulevard was filled with older African American attendees and school groups.

• "We're here especially for the students who might not know the kind of life Rev. Jackson led and what he did for the Black community through history," Anastasia Rigoli, a Spanish teacher at South Shore's Ebony Academy, told Axios.
• "Jesse did so much for all of us, for the freedoms that we have today, so I felt it was important to come and honor his life and legacy," said Sonja Martin, who drove Thursday morning to Kenwood from Highland Park.
• "There should be more young people here today," Jeremiah Durham told Axios, noting the predominance of older visitors. "But unfortunately, it's mostly those who've lived long enough to appreciate and understand the impact of Rev. Jackson in our lives."

What to expect: After standing in line on Drexel, visitors pass through a security tent and then join another line to enter the auditorium, where one aisle leads to the visitation coffin and another leads back out.

• The program inside alternates between videos of Jackson speeches, musical performances and speakers.

• The family may be standing near the stage to greet visitors or not depending on the time of day. They stopped greeting at one point Thursday morning to move the line more quickly.
• Staffers offer visitors tissues and a commemorative bookmark.

If you go

Do: Be patient. I was 350th in line, and it took 65 minutes to get to the front once the doors opened.

• Wear warm clothes and comfortable shoes because you might have to walk blocks to the end of the line.
• Talk to fellow visitors who seem eager to share Jackson stories, contributing to a sense of community and history.
• Consider public transportation. Public street parking is scarce nearby, but you can park about two blocks away on Greenwood or 47th.

Don't: Try to bring posters, signs, banners, food or drink. They will be confiscated at the screening tent.

• Buy your commemorative poster before you enter the building because you'll have to leave it on the lawn while you're inside.
• Expect to take pictures inside the building because they are forbidden. Press is excluded from this prohibition.

What's next: Jackson services will continue through March 7, with visitation from 10 am to 10 pm Thursday and Friday at Rainbow PUSH, 930 E. 50th St., where all are welcome.

• Services in South Carolina and Washington, D.C., March 1-4.
• A People's Celebration at the House of Hope in Chicago on March 6
• A private Homegoing at Rainbow PUSH on March 7 will be live-streamed for the public.