Michelle Obama raises questions again as she skips Jesse Jackson’s funeral

Michelle Obama has raised eyebrows again after she failed to attend civil rights icon, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s, memorial service on Friday, over 12 months after she was a no-show at Jimmy Carter’s funeral.

The former first lady left her husband, Barack Obama, to fly solo at the ceremony, held at the House of Hope in the Obamas’ hometown of Chicago.

While Barack attended without his wife, former presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden were joined by their respective wives, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Dr. Jill Biden.

HELLO! has contacted representatives for Michelle and Barack for comment.

Last January, Michelle raised questions when she failed to join her husband at the funeral of the 39th President, Jimmy Carter, which was held at the Washington National Cathedral on January 9.

While no reason was explicitly provided for her absence, The New York Times shared a statement from her spokeswoman, which read: “Mrs. Obama sends her thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from the remarkable former president.” 

Addressing her absences, she also skipped Donald Trump’s second inauguration, on an episode of her IMO podcast, she said: “It took everything in my power to not do the thing that was perceived as right, but do the things that was right for me, that was a hard thing for me to do.”

Rev. Jesse Jackson died peacefully at 84 on February 17, surrounded by his loved ones, his family announced in a statement.

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“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Civil Rights leader and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Honorable Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family,” began the statement.

“His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless from his Presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilising millions to register to vote – leaving an indelible mark on history.”

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The statement continued: “Reverend Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline; their children – Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline; daughter Ashley Jackson, and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother, Helen Burns Jackson; father, Noah Louis Robinson; and stepfather, Charles Henry Jackson.

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‘”Our father was a servant leader – not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world. We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honour his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by,” it concluded.

While his cause of death has yet to be shared, Jesse suffered from a rare neurological disorder known as progressive supranuclear palsy for over a decade, which can appear similar to Parkinson’s disease.