03/07/2026
Today we celebrate the homegoing
of Reverend Jesse Jackson, I want to share a personal thank you.
As a young boy growing up in Uptown during the turbulent years of the late 1960s and early 1970s, I remember trying to cross the street during a time of unrest in the city. A young Black crossing guard stepped in and made sure I got across safely and also home. I never forgot that moment. Even as a child, I knew someone was looking out for me.
Like many families who built their lives in Chicago, our journeys began in the South. Reverend Jackson’s family came north from the South, and my family came from El Paso, Texas. Different paths, but we met here in Chicago.
Years later, working in construction as a taper and drywall finisher, I worked shoulder to shoulder with many African American brothers in the trade, on those job sites, Black and Latino workers stood together, building the city of Chicago.
Leaders like Reverend Jackson and César Chávez showed us that the struggles of Black and Latino workers are connected, and that unity makes us stronger.
Today, especially in these turbulent times, organizations like Chicago Metro LCLAA and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition must continue working together. Our communities have always supported one another, and together we can keep building opportunity, justice, and hope for the next generation.
Thank you, Reverend Jackson, for your leadership, your courage, and for reminding us that when we stand together, we are stronger.
—
Jose Alcala
President Emeritus, Chicago Metro LCLAA
President Emeritus Painters Local 1184 | District Council 14
photo taken by Thomas J. O’Halloran