Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Dies At 84
Civil rights activist and two-time Democratic presidential candidate Jesse Jackson died Tuesday at the age of 84. His family announced his passing Tuesday morning. A cause of death was not disclosed, though Jackson had been placed on life support in November after being hospitalized with progressive supranuclear palsy. He revealed in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Civil Rights leader and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Honorable Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family,” his family said in a statement. “His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. Our father was a servant leader not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world.”
Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on October 8, 1941. He graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College in 1964 and soon began working closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He became heavily involved in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was in Memphis in 1968 when King was assassinated.
While working with the SCLC, Jackson led Operation Breadbasket in Chicago, an initiative aimed at expanding economic opportunities for black Americans. The program encouraged boycotts of companies that declined to negotiate what Jackson described as more equitable employment practices. He later left the SCLC in 1971 after being suspended over administrative improprieties and violations of organizational policy.
Jackson mounted presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988, seeking the Democratic nomination. In 1984, he won roughly 18 percent of the vote. Four years later, he carried 11 states during the primary process. His 1984 campaign was marred by controversy after he used a slur referring to Jewish people and New York City, remarks for which he later apologized.
In the 1990s, Jackson was elected as a shadow senator representing Washington, D.C., advocating for statehood. He founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in 1996, building on the coalition he formed during his presidential bid to unite minority voters and others opposed to the policies of President Ronald Reagan. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In more recent years, Jackson called for abolishing the Electoral College and was a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. He endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. President Trump responded to news of Jackson’s death by offering condolences and reflecting on their past interactions.
“I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and street smarts. He was very gregarious, someone who truly loved people,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed.”
Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and their children Santita Jackson, former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., Jonathan Luther Jackson, Yusef DuBois Jackson, and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson Jr. He also had a daughter, Ashley Jackson, from another relationship. A public ceremony honoring his life will be held in Chicago.