Tuesday marked the passing of Civil Rights leader, former Presidential candidate and 1980s sociopolitcal icon Reverend Jesse Jackson. The Founder of Operation Push lived until the age of 84. And he was on hand on April 17, 2014 as New York Mets Center Fielder Curtis Granderson returned to his native Chicago to open and christen Curtis Granderson Stadium, at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
So with that mind, we know revisit that monumental day, in order to honor his life.
Rev. Jesse Jackson was a giant of the civil rights movement.
He broke down barriers, inspired generations, and kept hope alive. Our state, nation, and world are better due to his years of service.
I’m ordering flags to half-mast to honor him.
May his memory be a blessing. pic.twitter.com/f5wt6QGkjW
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) February 17, 2026
Here is the article that we did on that event, 12 years ago.
The new home to UIC Flames baseball is the largest alumni gift in UIC history; but more importantly the largest donation by any professional athlete to his alma mater (according to Sports Illustrated via the school’s Sports Information Department). That’s any school; anywhere.
The new venue will host more than 38 little league organizations annually, providing for a safe and first-class experience to compete.
Who says sports and politics don’t mix?
Sports are bigger than ever, and with the tremendous popularity that star athletes possess, politicians are always going to want to get it on that. “All politics are local” and Jesse Jackson is no exception. He didn’t talk to the media today, and if he had any role at all with the building and development of Curtis Granderson Stadium, we were not informed of it.
Obviously today was a day about community development and reinvestment; about a local kid done good and now giving back in a huge way. Of course, all discussions of Chicago these days, especially those on a civic and community development level, lead back to violence and how to stop it.
Jesse Jackson didn’t speak at the press conference, but Granderson was asked by a reporter if his new stadium (which will be used primarily for community youth baseball, that’s its primary purpose, even above being a college baseball venue) can help pull kids off the streets and keep them out of trouble.
“I’m not a criminal law person, but I understand that if you have things to do, things that are positive that you can look forward to,” Granderson said.
“You and everyone else in here, young, old, male, female are going to try to do everything possible so that you can continue to do those positive things and that includes staying out of trouble.”
His foundation, Grand Kids, has raised money to benefit the educations of inner-city children around the country.When he endorsed Nike, Inc., Louisville Slugger and Rawlings, he asked them to donate money to his foundation or equipment to inner-city baseball programs rather than pay him.
Here’s some video from the event today.
Curtis Granderson addressing the crowd prior to the start of the game (above)
“When given the opportunity to give back and help those that have helped me, this was one of the first ways we thought about doing it. We had done a few things in previous years and this won’t be the last. We just want to continue to help out the next student-athlete that comes through UIC and also help spread to the community that UIC is here.
This is going to be, hands down, one of the top facilities in all of baseball.”
Curtis Granderson and Rev. Jesse Jackson emerging onto the field from the UIC dugout:
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.