Renowned American civil rights leader and two-time U.S. presidential candidate, Rev. Jesse Jackson, has died at the age of 84, his family announced on Tuesday.
In a statement, the family said Jackson died peacefully surrounded by loved ones. “Our father was a servant leader not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the statement read. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Jackson had been living for more than a decade with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurological disorder that affects movement and swallowing, according to his Rainbow PUSH Coalition. He publicly revealed in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
A towering figure in the U.S. civil rights movement, Jackson rose to prominence working alongside Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. He participated in major demonstrations, including the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march, and later joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), where he led Operation Breadbasket, an economic empowerment initiative.
Following King’s assassination in 1968, Jackson founded People United to Save Humanity (PUSH) in 1971 to advance economic justice for Black Americans. The organization later merged with the National Rainbow Coalition to form the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.
Jackson made history with his presidential bids in 1984 and 1988, becoming one of the first Black candidates to mount serious campaigns for the Democratic nomination. In 1984, he won more than 18 percent of the primary vote, and in 1988, he secured victories in 11 primaries and caucuses, expanding his national political influence.
Beyond domestic politics, Jackson also engaged in international humanitarian diplomacy, helping negotiate the release of detained Americans abroad. In 2000, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his civil rights and diplomatic efforts.
Tributes poured in from political leaders and activists across the United States. Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton described Jackson as “one of our nation’s greatest moral voices,” while lawmakers praised his decades-long advocacy for justice, voting rights and equality.
Public observances are expected to be held in Chicago, with further details to be announced by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Jackson’s family.
Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Brown, and their children.
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