Feb 27, 2026 - News

What's the right way for Chicago to honor Jesse Jackson?

Justin Kaufmann

Black and white photo of a man in a suit speaking passionately at a podium with microphones, behind a sign reading "Operation PUSH" in bold letters. — The Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks at the headquarters of Operation PUSH in 1981. Photo: Antonio Dickey/Getty Images

Chicago has honored the Rev. Jesse Jackson with eulogies and tributes. Now comes the harder question: How should the city permanently honor one of its most consequential civil rights leaders?

The latest: Funeral services continue for Jackson, who died this month at the age of 84.

The big picture: Chicago wasn't just where Jackson lived — it was where he built. After coming north from the segregated South, he turned local fights over jobs, housing and political access into a national civil rights movement, reshaping the Democratic Party and elevating Black political power far beyond city limits.

Few leaders have leveraged this city into that kind of reach, which makes the question of how Chicago honors him uniquely its own.

What they're saying: "Mayor Johnson and the City of Chicago were honored to bestow the key to the city to Reverend Jackson and celebrate his contributions to our city and our country with the Jackson family," a mayor's spokesperson tells Axios.

"Recognizing the importance of honoring and preserving his legacy, Mayor Johnson, the City, and our Sister Agencies will work collaboratively with the family and the community on official tributes."

The intrigue: While it's clear the mayor will move to honor Jackson, it's unclear how.

"I don't think there is enough we can do here in Chicago to honor Rev. Jackson," former Chicago Defender editor Glenn Reedus tells Axios. Reedus says he organized a movement a few years back to rename Midway Airport after Jackson, but it fizzled.
"Maybe if there is some new edifice built and named after him, that would suffice," he adds.

Here are five ways the city could pay tribute:

Renaming an airport

Blue Southwest airplane flying low over a street with leafless trees, cars, and signs including Giordano's pizza and Continental Sales under a clear sky. — A Southwest Airlines jet prepares to land at Chicago Midway International Airport in 2025. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Reedus is right: The ultimate honor would be to rename a Chicago airport. Luckily, the city has two and one of them is named after a World War II battle.

Renaming Midway to Jesse Jackson International Airport would be one of the highest honors on our list.
Or renaming a third Chicago area airport if that ever comes to fruition.

Reality check: Renaming airports would involve the FAA and politicians in Washington, D.C., which could mean formidable roadblocks due to partisan politics.

A Chicago park

Large neoclassical building with green dome by a reflective pond, cherry blossom trees with pink flowers on the left, clear blue sky, and stone walkway along the water. — Cherry blossoms bloom in Jackson Park in April last year. Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

Chicago has several notable parks named after historic figures, including President Abraham Lincoln and civil rights icon Frederick Douglass.

There's also Jackson Park, which is named after President Andrew Jackson, a controversial figure with no connection to Chicago. It wouldn't be a stretch for the city to rename Jackson Park after Jesse Jackson without having to reprint signs.
The park is also near the Rainbow/PUSH headquarters in Kenwood.

Reality check: Simply swapping Andrew Jackson for Jesse Jackson wouldn't change the park's name, and many Chicagoans might never realize the difference.

A Chicago street

Street intersection at S Lake Park Ave and E 53rd St with one-way sign pointing left. Modern glass building with LA Fitness and Roti Mediterranean below, trees and clear blue sky. — Lake Park Avenue in Hyde Park. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios

The city has renamed several streets after local dignitaries, including Congress Parkway, which was recently renamed to Ida B. Wells Drive, and Lake Shore Drive, which was renamed to DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

Some street names to reconsider include downtown thoroughfares like Columbus Drive, or, once again, rename Jackson Boulevard to (Jesse) Jackson Boulevard.
Another idea would be to rename a popular South Side street near Rainbow/PUSH headquarters. Hyde Park Boulevard could be the easiest, since it is just a block south, or renaming Lake Park Avenue.

Reality check: That pesky Andrew Jackson problem once again. Can Chicago have two streets named Jackson?

A statue or monument

Workers on a lift and ground cover a tall statue with white plastic wrap on a stepped circular platform, with police and bystanders nearby and trees in the background under a clear sky. — Workers cover a statue of Christopher Columbus in Grant Park, 2020. The statue was later taken down after protests. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

The city could easily commission a statue or sculpture to honor Jackson in several different places. May we suggest a new statue in place of the Columbus statue in Grant Park?

Reality check: The Italian-American community in Chicago may not like that idea.

A civil rights museum

Urban street with a unique, angular gray building under a partly cloudy blue sky. Chain-link fence and construction site with concrete barriers and signs beside the building. — Construction continues on the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Woodlawn. Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

The "Rev. Jesse Jackson Museum for Civil Rights" has a nice ring to it, right?

With empty buildings still littering The Loop, a museum honoring Jackson and his civil rights legacy could easily find a home. Options include the old Broadcast Museum space at State and Kinzie or the old Rosebud space across from Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue.

Reality check: While it may be a grand gesture, museums cost money to operate. Also, the Obama Presidential Center is opening in June and will undoubtedly cover the history of civil rights organizing in Chicago.

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