Renowned American civil rights leader, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, has died at the age of 84, his family has announced. In a statement released Tuesday morning, the family said he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
Rev. Jackson had battled health challenges in recent years. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017 and later with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare degenerative neurological condition. Despite describing Parkinson’s as a “physical challenge,” he remained active in public life and advocacy for many years.
A towering figure in the American civil rights movement, Jackson worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was present in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968 when King was assassinated. He had become one of King’s trusted associates within the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), where he helped lead nonviolent protests and economic empowerment campaigns.
Born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential Black political voices in the United States. He later founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an organisation dedicated to social justice, voter mobilisation and economic empowerment.
In 1984 and 1988, he made historic bids for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, becoming one of the first Black Americans to mount a serious national campaign for the White House. Though he did not secure the nomination, his campaigns significantly expanded Black political participation in the United States.
Over the decades, Jackson remained active in domestic and international diplomacy, advocating for the release of detainees abroad and serving as a special envoy under President Bill Clinton. In 2000, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States.
Jackson is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Jacqueline, their children, and many who credit him with advancing civil rights and expanding political opportunities for marginalised communities.
His death marks the passing of one of the last major figures of the 1960s civil rights movement — a man whose life was defined by activism, political courage and the pursuit of equality.
