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THE BLACK MEDIA AUTHORITY • AFRO.COM

Volume 134 No. 33

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MARCH 14, 2026 - MARCH 20, 2026

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Photo courtesy of Meta (Facebook) / Kweisi Mfume

Around the world the death of Rev. Jesse Jackson is still being mourned. Thousands gathered for the public homegoing service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, March 6, 2026 (left). Speakers included Rev. Al Sharpton, President Barack Obama and Rev. Jamal Bryant (top, right). The ceremony drew the likes of Congressman Kweisi Mfume D-Md.-7) (at left in bottom right photo) with Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.-2) and California Gov. Gavin Newsome (bottom, right).

Thousands honor Rev. Jesse Jackson’s life and legacy at Chicago public homegoing service

By Ashleigh Fields Special to the AFRO

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World leaders, dignitaries and activists were among those who gathered March 6 to celebrate the life of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., who served as a minister and activist-leader to the masses and died Feb. 17 at the age of 84. Thousands convened in Chicago’s House of Hope to reflect on a life well lived. Among them were three former presidents: Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Each of them eulogized the global civil rights advocate with frequent references to his popular slogans “I am somebody” and “Keep hope alive,” juxtaposing Jackson’s staple message of peace with the current administration. “Each day we wake up to some new assault to our democratic institutions. Another setback

to the idea of the rule of law. An offense to common decency. Every day you wake up to things you just didn’t think were possible,” President Obama told the crowded room of mourners. “Each day, we’re told by those in high office to fear each other, and to turn on each other. And that some Americans count more than others. And that some don’t even count at all. Everywhere we see greed and bigotry being celebrated and bullying and mockery masquerading as strength.” The first Black president elected to lead the United States reflected on Jackson’s campaigns for presidency, saying they were sources of inspiration to “an outsider” like him and many others. He further reflected on the culmination of Jackson’s career as a “messenger” for hope and a mouthpiece for God who encouraged those around him to weather the storms in life

until peace comes to pass. “This man, Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, inspires us to take a harder path, his voice calls on each of us to be heralds of change,” Obama said. “How fortunate we were that Jesse Jackson answered that call. What a great debt we owe to him. May God bless, Rev. Jackson. May he rest in eternal peace.” Jackson, who was a protege of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the height of the Civil Rights Movement and carried on its cause after the revered leader’s assassination, helped inspire new generations of freedom fighters and social justice warriors. “He was a leading icon of the Civil Rights Movement and a personal friend who helped shape the course of my life and the lives of so many committed to justice and the ideals of America,” said civil rights lawyer Benjamin

Crump. He added, “He took on corporate America, fought tirelessly to protect voting rights, negotiated the release of hostages across the globe, and remained on the front lines of protest well into his later years, even in the face of serious illness. He was an unstoppable and formidable force, proving that no opponent or battle was too big.” Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07) also mourned his fallen comrade while hailing his legacy. “My friend, big brother, and leader of many struggles, battles, and victories has exited life’s stage but never our hearts,” Mfume said in a statement. “Jesse’s passion for justice, fair play, and the dignity of all people mattered greatly to him. He gave so much and asked for Continued on A3

Annual Sunday service to celebrate 199 years of Black Press By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO When officials at St. George’s United Methodist Church pulled Richard Allen, Absalom Jones and other Black parishioners off their knees while praying in Philadelphia in 1787, they went on to form their own church, free of racial discrimination. In a similar example of Black people shaking off the shackles of racial oppression, John Russwurm and Samuel Cornish, determined to “plead our own cause,” founded “Freedom’s Journal” in 1827, marking the start of the Black Press in America. On March 15, members of the Black Press will celebrate 199 years of perseverance, ingenuity and achievements during the annual worship service at D.C.’s historic Metropolitan AME Church, known as Black Press Sunday.

The day will serve as a time to honor the heroic Black leaders who started the institution and the people who have kept it alive. Black Press Sunday 2026 will kick off a week of activities that will include receptions, seminars, conversations and strategic pow-wows that will highlight the contributions of Black journalists and acknowledge the need to support Black media in America. The Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan, one of the event’s sponsors, spoke to the significance of the service. “We celebrate the Black Press because they have always captured our joys and pains, our victories and defeats, and our hopes and dreams,” Lamar said. “However, we must remember that the media is political and is not neutral. It can report a vision of shared human flourishing or one of exclusion, oppression and exploitation.

Throughout its history, the Black Press has represented African Americans and stood with humanity in the quest for truth.” In year’s past, Black Press Sunday has become an annual fixture in the lives of those who work for or support the mission of Black journalists and publications. Phil Lewis, president of the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ), and deputy editor at Huffington Post, said he’s thrilled to once again join the celebration. “When I attended the service last year, it marked one of the first events under my tenure as president for WABJ and I remember how excited I was to see the sanctuary filled with people,” Lewis said. “Within the ranks of the National Association of Black Journalists, our chapter boasts one of the strongest memberships Continued on A3

Flyer courtesy of NNPA

Black Press Sunday returns to Washington, D.C., on Sunday, March 15, at Metropolitan AME Church for worship and celebration beginning at 10 a.m. The annual service will tout the 199th anniversary of the Black Press in America. This year’s theme is “Voice of Freedom – Journalists United in Truth.” Black Press Week 2026 will be held in Washington, D.C., March 16 through March 20.