Rev. Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Icon, Dies at 84
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering figure in the civil rights movement and a two-time presidential candidate, died Tuesday, his family announced. He was 84 years old.
“Our father was a servant leader – not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said in a statement. “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 honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
A cause of death was not immediately given. He died peacefully surrounded by loved ones, his family said. Jackson had been living with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) for more than a decade and was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017.
For over seven decades, Jackson was a prominent civil rights leader, beginning as a young protégé of Martin Luther King Jr. He served as a shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997.
Born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson became involved in activism early in life, navigating the segregated South. He was elected class president at Sterling High School and received a football scholarship to the University of Illinois. He later transferred to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where he continued his activism and was elected student body president.
Jackson’s path intertwined with Dr. King’s in the early 1960s, and he became a close aide. He was present at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, when King was assassinated. “Every time I think about it, it’s like pulling a scab off a sore,” Jackson said in a 2018 interview with the Guardian, describing the lasting impact of that day.
Following King’s death, Jackson founded People United to Save Humanity (PUSH) in 1971, an organization focused on improving economic conditions for Black Americans. He later merged PUSH with the National Rainbow Coalition to form the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which continues to advocate for educational and economic equality.
Jackson launched two presidential campaigns, in 1984 and 1988, becoming the second Black person to mount a nationwide bid for the presidency. In 1988, he performed strongly, ultimately losing the Democratic nomination to Michael Dukakis. He reflected on the challenges of his campaigns, stating in a 2020 interview with the Guardian, “I was a trailblazer, I was a pathfinder. I had to deal with doubt and cynicism and fears about a Black person running.”
Throughout his career, Jackson remained a vocal advocate for social justice, addressing issues such as voting rights, disparities in healthcare, and the fight against white supremacy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he campaigned against disparities in care and outcomes, questioning why African Americans were disproportionately affected after centuries of systemic discrimination.
In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing his decades of work promoting opportunities for people of color.
Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Brown, and their six children: Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan Luther, Yusef DuBois, Jacqueline Jr., and Ashley.
