Inside the classrooms at Lane Tech College Prep High School, students, through their own research, are learning about Jackson's life and legacy, and how they as young people can take what they learn and apply it to their own lives.
In April Coleman's third period Black revolutionary literature class, five students were tasked with presenting their research about Jackson, from his birth in South Carolina to the formation of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
"Jackson described his role in this mission as being a tree shaker, not a jam maker," one student said.
Each student focused on a different stage of the reverend's life.
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"Their task was to bring in economic improvement to Black communities," one student said.
The exploration of an American civil rights activist led some students to self-reflect.
"I could be doing a lot more to help myself and the people around me," said student Camille Oshodi. "We kind of like sit in the things that happen in our society, and we don't really do as much as we could be doing."
Others say learning about the origin stories of Jackson and others proves anything is possible.
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"People like Jesse Jackson and Martin Luther King, like, they're just like us. They just, they just went down that path. And it really inspires me," said student Leila Shakir.
And though King and Jackson are among the great orators of the Civil Rights Movement, it was not their words that impressed this class of Gen Z students the most.
"The way we can truly show something is through our actions, because I think you don't act on something you don't truly believe," said student Yael Redeatu.
Coleman says Jackson's life is a great example of one generation knocking on the door, so another can walk right through.
"I hope my students understand that sometimes, when you're involved in a movement, you may not immediately reap the benefits of that movement," Coleman said. "You still owe it to the kids in the future to do that work."
A central theme of Monday's class is that these students are bigger than themselves, and that through their actions today, they can lay the foundation for future generations.