State Rep. Buckner wants part of Dan Ryan Expressway named for Rev. Jesse Jackson

A South Side stretch of the Dan Ryan Expressway could be named for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson under legislation proposed this week in Springfield.

State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, filed a bill Monday that would designate Interstate 90/94 between 47th and 95th streets as the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Memorial Highway.

“Rev. Jesse Jackson’s legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of Chicago and our nation,” Buckner said in a statement. “Dedicating part of the Dan Ryan Expressway as his memorial ensures that the courage and leadership he brought to the fight for civil rights will be remembered and his impact will remain felt for generations to come.”

The civil rights icon, who died last month at age 84, led his influential Rainbow PUSH Coalition for decades out of the organization’s Kenwood headquarters, and over the years he also joined fellow activists in protest marches that occasionally shut down the expressway.

“From organizing for civil rights to building national coalitions for justice, Rev. Jackson has helped shape the course of American history. It is fitting that one of Chicago’s most traveled corridors reflects the name of a leader who helped move our country forward,” Buckner said.

If passed, Buckner’s bill would authorize the state Department of Transportation to install “appropriate plaques” in the corridor, which could be funded by private donations.

In 2017, state lawmakers designated a 75-mile portion of Interstate 55 as the Barack Obama Presidential Expressway, denoting the highway he regularly traversed to and from the Illinois State Capitol during his tenure as a state senator.

Dan Ryan was a longtime Cook County commissioner who served as board president from 1954 until his death in 1961, when the expressway was opened with his name. Buckner’s proposal wouldn’t remove his name.