In deference to the life and legacy of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., Rep. Kam Buckner (D-26) announced Wednesday, March 11, that he has introduced legislation that, if passed, would rename a portion of the Dan Ryan Expressway that runs largely through Chicago’s Black community.
House Bill 5726 proposes renaming the stretch of the Dan Ryan Expressway between 47th Street and 95th Street as the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Memorial Highway.
If approved by the Illinois General Assembly, the measure would first be considered in committee before advancing to the full House for a vote. If passed by the House, the bill would then move to the Illinois Senate for consideration. Should both chambers approve the legislation, it would be sent to the governor for signature before the designation could take effect.
Buckner said the corridor represents more than just a transportation route. In an Instagram video announcing the proposal, he described the expressway as a central artery through several historic Black neighborhoods.
“That corridor isn’t just concrete. It’s a front porch for Black Chicago,” Buckner said. “It’s Bronzeville, Greater Grand Crossing, Chatham, Roseland — generations of families, churches, small businesses, organizers and everyday people who built this city, even when the city was not built for them.
“And Reverend Jackson — you can’t deny that he made America better.”
Buckner said he believes it is fitting that one of the first memorial tributes following Jackson’s death would be located in the city where the civil rights leader built much of his legacy.
“There will be many things named after Rev. Jackson,” Buckner said. “His legacy is too big for there not to be, but it feels right that the first begins here — in the city he called home.”
Buckner also reflected on the historical significance of the expressway itself, noting how the Dan Ryan Expressway reshaped Chicago’s landscape and communities when it was constructed.
“My father used to talk about the Dan Ryan as something that divided the city,” Buckner said in his Instagram remarks. “He grew up in Bronzeville before the expressway was built.”
Constructed in the early 1960s, the Dan Ryan Expressway became one of the nation’s busiest urban highways and has long been viewed by historians and community leaders as a physical dividing line between Chicago’s predominantly Black neighborhoods on the South Side and predominantly white neighborhoods to the west. The expressway’s construction displaced homes and businesses and reshaped long-established communities, leaving a lasting impact that continues to influence how residents view the corridor today.
Buckner said Jackson spent decades bringing people together across communities and movements.
“Rev. Jackson spent his life connecting people — across neighborhoods, across movements, across this country and across this world,” Buckner said.
“So, it feels fitting that a road which once represented division should carry the name of one of our greatest bridge builders.”
