The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Baptist minister and longtime civil rights advocate who twice pursued the Democratic nomination for president, has died at 84. His family said he passed away peacefully Tuesday morning, surrounded by loved ones.

In a statement, Jackson’s family reflected on his global reach and enduring mission: “Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world … 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.”

Born Jesse Louis Burns on Oct. 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson grew up in poverty in the segregated South. After his mother married Charles Jackson, he took his stepfather’s surname. A strong student and athlete, he attended the University of Illinois on a football scholarship before transferring to North Carolina A&T. He later studied at Chicago Theological Seminary and was ordained in 1968. As a young activist, Jackson joined the inner circle of Martin Luther King Jr. and worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He led Operation Breadbasket, pushing corporations to hire and promote Black workers, and participated in pivotal moments of the civil rights era, including the Selma marches and the 1963 March on Washington. He was in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968.

After leaving the SCLC in 1971, Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) in Chicago, focused on economic empowerment. He later launched the National Rainbow Coalition, advocating for a broad alliance of marginalized communities, including LGBTQIA+ Americans. The two groups eventually merged into the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, which he led for decades before stepping down in 2023, saying, “We’re resigning, we’re not retiring.”

Jackson’s activism also extended internationally: he spoke out against apartheid in South Africa, supported Palestinian statehood, and negotiated the release of hostages and prisoners in countries including Lebanon, Cuba, Syria, Iraq and Yugoslavia. Jackson transformed his grassroots movement into political campaigns in 1984 and 1988. In 1984, he finished third in the Democratic primaries; in 1988, he placed second to Michael Dukakis, winning 12 contests and earning nearly 7 million votes. His bids marked the strongest presidential primary performances by a Black candidate at the time, building on the earlier campaign of Shirley Chisholm and paving the way for Barack Obama two decades later.

Though controversies — including remarks about Jewish communities and associations with Louis Farrakhan — affected his campaigns, Jackson remained a powerful voice in national politics. He later served as a shadow senator for Washington, D.C., from 1991 to 1997, advocating for statehood. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron named him a Commander of the Legion of Honor. Jackson also authored two books, Straight from the Heart (1987) and Legal Lynching: Racism, Injustice, and the Death Penalty (1995), and received dozens of honorary degrees.

Leaders from both parties praised his legacy –

• Former President Joe Biden called him “a man of God and of the people,” describing him as “Determined and tenacious. Unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of our Nation.” He added that Jackson “influenced generations of Americans” and believed deeply in equality.
• The Rev. Al Sharpton remembered Jackson as “a consequential and transformative leader who changed this nation and the world,” writing, “He shaped public policy and changed laws. He kept the dream alive and taught young children from broken homes, like me, that we don’t have broken spirits.”
• Vice President Kamala Harris said, “He let us know our voices mattered. He instilled in us that we were somebody. And he widened the path for generations to follow in his footsteps and lead,” calling him “one of America’s greatest patriots.”
• President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social:  “The Reverend Jesse Jackson is Dead at 84. I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and “street smarts,” while later adding “he loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!”

In recent years, Jackson had faced mounting health challenges. Initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017, doctors later determined he was living with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare degenerative neurological disorder. He was hospitalized several times, including for complications related to PSP, a fall during a protest, gallbladder surgery, and COVID-19. Despite describing Parkinson’s as a “physical challenge,” he continued advocating for social justice.

Married to Jacqueline Jackson since 1962, he is survived by six children, including former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. and Congressman Jonathan Jackson. Public memorials are planned in Chicago.

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