Governor Pat Quinn also attended the founder's day celebration.
Reverend Jackson is president of the South Side civil rights organization, which he founded on Christmas Day in 1971. On Saturday he urged that the nation welcome home the U.S. military from Iraq with medical care, housing, and job training.
"If they could put their whole lives on the line, the least we can do is make room for them with love, care and appreciation when they return home," Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said.
"We have fought for for 40 years has become as necessary and relevant today as it was 40 years ago," Rev. Al Sharpton, National Action Network, said.
Governor Quinn declared Saturday rainbow PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Education Day, and gave Reverend Jackson a copy of the state proclamation.
