Rev. Jesse Jackson, American Civil Rights Leader, Dies at 84

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering figure in the American civil rights movement and two-time presidential candidate, died early Tuesday after a long battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), his family announced. He was 84.

In a statement, the Jackson family remembered him as “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,” the statement read. “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.”
Jackson had been managing PSP, a rare neurodegenerative disorder, for more than a decade. Last November, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the civil rights and social justice organization he founded, said he had been admitted to a hospital “under observation” for the condition.
PSP affects balance, swallowing and walking. There is no cure, and treatment focuses on managing symptoms.
Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, and their five children: Santita Jackson; former U.S. Rep. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.; Jonathan Luther Jackson; Yusef DuBois Jackson; and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson Jr.
Born into the crucible of segregation in the American South, Jackson rose to national prominence during the 1960s civil rights movement. He was among the group later known as the “Greenville Eight,” who attempted to desegregate a public library in Greenville, South Carolina, in protest of Jim Crow-era policies.
A protégé of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson played a key role in advancing economic justice through the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Operation Breadbasket, first in Chicago and later nationwide. The initiative sought to improve economic opportunities for Black communities by leveraging boycotts and negotiations with major corporations.
Jackson was at King’s side in 1968 when the civil rights leader was assassinated, a moment that marked a turning point in both the movement and Jackson’s own life.
In the mid-1990s, Jackson consolidated his activism by merging two organizations into what became the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, continuing his advocacy for voting rights, economic empowerment and social justice.
Beyond activism, Jackson sought elected office. He mounted two historic bids for the Democratic presidential nomination — in 1984 and 1988. In 1984, he lost the primary to former President Jimmy Carter. Four years later, he again ran for the nomination, losing to Democrat Michael Dukakis, who went on to lose the general election to George H. W. Bush.
Jackson later served as one of Washington, D.C.’s “shadow senators” from 1991 to 1997, advocating for statehood and full congressional representation for the District.
In 2000, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his decades-long commitment to civil rights and social change.
Over a career spanning more than half a century, Jackson remained a vocal advocate for justice and equality, leaving an indelible mark on American political and social life.