5 hours ago
1
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civilian rights leader, Baptist curate and pioneering person who launched 2 bids for the U.S. presidency, died connected Tuesday greeting astatine the property of 84, his household said successful a statement.
"Our begetter was a servant person -- not lone to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked astir the world," the household connection said.
"We shared him with the world, and successful return, the satellite became portion of our extended family. His unwavering content successful justice, equality, and emotion uplifted millions, and we inquire you to grant his representation by continuing the combat for the values helium lived by," it added.
Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Jackson, whom helium joined successful 1962, and six children.
This record photograph shows Rev. Jesse Jackson successful Auburn Gresham, Chicago, connected June 25, 2021.
Chicago Tribune/TNS
Jackson had weathered a myriad of wellness issues successful caller years. In November 2025, Jackson was hospitalized successful Chicago for attraction of complications from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative information that helium had been managing for a decade, according to a connection from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the civilian rights enactment Jackson founded.
"Reverend Jackson is successful unchangeable information and is breathing without the assistance of machines," the Jackson household said successful a connection a fewer days aft Jackson's hospitalization, successful effect to speculation astir his condition. "Contrary to circumstantial reports, helium is not connected beingness support."
"The Jackson household extends heartfelt appreciation for the galore prayers and benignant messages offered during this time," the connection besides said. Jackson was released from the hospital the pursuing week.
A further household update connected Jackson's wellness came successful mid-December 2025, erstwhile it released a connection saying that Jackson had been released from an acute-care installation wherever helium had "received further care" pursuing his infirmary release. The connection besides said Jackson "has battled respective infections accordant with the progression of his PSP diagnosis" for "the past respective months."
In 2017, Jackson announced that he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. However, the November 2025 announcement said that the PSP diagnosis had been confirmed the erstwhile April.
Jackson besides underwent gall bladder country successful 2021 and was hospitalized aboriginal that twelvemonth aft falling portion protesting with students astatine Howard University successful Washington, D.C. He besides was hospitalized for COVID-19 that August.
Beginning his vocation arsenic a protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson rapidly roseate to go 1 of the nation's astir salient and influential civilian rights leaders. In 1971, helium formed the nonprofit Operation PUSH – People United to Save/Serve Humanity – to advocator for societal and economical parity for Black Americans.
Jackson ran for president twice, some times arsenic a Democrat, placing 3rd for the party's information successful 1984 and 2nd successful 1988, marking the astir palmy statesmanlike runs of immoderate Black campaigner anterior to Barack Obama's 2 decades later.
Following his archetypal campaign, Jackson formed the nonprofit National Rainbow Coalition with the stated intent of affording number Americans a greater governmental voice. In 1996, Jackson merged the groups into Rainbow/PUSH, and served arsenic the caput of some until 2023.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson stops by a objection extracurricular the U.S. Capitol to protestation the expiration of the national moratorium connected residential evictions successful Washington, U.S., connected Aug. 2, 2021.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Jackson was besides elected successful 1990 arsenic the shadiness delegate for the District of Columbia, serving a azygous term. In 1999, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Jesse Louis Jackson was calved Oct. 8, 1941 successful Greenville, South Carolina, successful the segregated South, and grew up mediocre successful a sharecropping family. He was a talented pupil and athlete, graduating from precocious schoolhouse with offers for a insignificant league shot declaration and a Big 10 shot scholarship.
He opted alternatively to be the University of Illinois earlier transferring to and graduating from North Carolina A&T, a historically Black university. He past began theological studies earlier going to enactment full-time with Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He was ordained a Baptist a curate successful 1968.
In 1966, 24-year-old Jackson became caput of the Chicago Chapter of the nascent Operation Breadbasket, the economical activism limb of the SCLC, and was appointed its nationalist manager the pursuing year. He besides helped found the Chicago Freedom Movement to enactment for unfastened lodging and schoolhouse desegregation.
Jackson participated successful galore of the civilian rights movement's landmark moments, including the March connected Washington successful 1963, wherever King delivered his celebrated "I Have a Dream" speech, and the Selma to Montgomery marches successful Alabama successful 1965. He was besides with Dr. King erstwhile the civilian rights person was fatally changeable astatine the Lorraine Motel successful Memphis, Tennessee, connected April 4, 1968.
Reflecting connected Dr. King's representation astir 50 years later, Jackson said helium was inspired by his quality to stay undaunted adjacent successful the look of overwhelming challenges.
"He is simply a framework of reference. His resurrection is powerful," Jackson said in a 2018 interview with ABC Chicago presumption WLS.
Speaking of King's assassination, Jackson added, "All I tin retrieve is immoderate dependable saying, 'One slug cannot termination a movement.' We indispensable support going ... If your cardinal subordinate is wounded connected the tract you cannot forfeit the game, you person to internalize your symptom and support marching and support moving, and we person to beryllium faithful to his complaint 50 years later."
Three years aft King's murder, Jackson near the SCLC and founded Operation PUSH, a societal justness enactment dedicated to improving the economical conditions of Black communities crossed the U.S.
The enactment fought for greater acquisition and employment opportunities for Black Americans and was palmy successful compelling large corporations to follow affirmative enactment policies benefiting Black workers.
Jackson's societal activism evolved into governmental ambition successful in the 1980s, erstwhile helium launched 2 campaigns for the Democratic statesmanlike nomination, successful 1984 and 1988. He placed 3rd successful superior voting successful 1984 and came successful 2nd to Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis successful 1988, winning 12 primaries and caucuses and receiving immoderate 6.9 cardinal full votes.
As lone the 2nd Black American to equine a nationwide statesmanlike campaign, aft New York Rep. Shirley Chisholm successful 1972, Jackson's historical runs were the astir palmy by a Black campaigner until President Barack Obama won successful 2008.
Jackson yet did triumph governmental office, erstwhile helium was elected to service successful the U.S. Senate arsenic a shadiness delegate for the District of Columbia, from 1991 to 1997.
Jackson besides utilized his skills arsenic a negotiator to facilitate the state of radical held abroad, starring to the merchandise of Navy aviator Robert Goodman successful 1984 from captivity successful Lebanon aft his level was changeable down, arsenic good arsenic 3 American prisoners of warfare held by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic successful 1999.
In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson a predominant professional of Clinton and his policies – the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, successful designation of Jackson's decades of societal activism.
"It's hard to ideate however we could person travel arsenic acold arsenic we person without the originative power, the keen intellect, the loving heart, and the relentless passionateness of Jesse Louis Jackson," Clinton said astatine the ceremony. "And God isn't done with him yet."
Jackson was the recipient of galore different awards passim his lifetime, including the NAACP President's Award and the American Institute for Public Service's Jefferson Award. In 2021, Jackson received France's highest bid of merit, the Commander of the Legion of Honor.
In aboriginal years, Jackson was a vocal proponent for the reauthorization of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. He was besides progressive successful the United Kingdom's Operation Black Vote to beforehand number information successful British elections.
In July 2023, Jackson stepped down arsenic caput of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition aft much than 50 years arsenic its head. "We're resigning, we're not retiring," Jackson said astatine the time, vowing to proceed warring for societal justness causes.
ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
