Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader and minister, dies at 84

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson has died at 84, his family confirmed Tuesday in a public statement

Rev. Jesse Jackson, the longtime civil rights activist, Baptist minister and two-time presidential candidate, has died at the age of 84, his family announced Tuesday.

Jackson died peacefully on Feb. 17, surrounded by family, according to a statement shared by his loved ones. “Our father was a servant leader, not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the statement read. The family asked supporters to honor his legacy by continuing the fight for justice and equality.

Born Oct. 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson rose to national prominence during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. He marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and was present in Memphis on April 4, 1968, the day King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel.

Over the decades, Jackson became one of the most recognizable voices in American public life. He founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, advocated for voting rights and economic equality, and twice sought the Democratic nomination for president in 1984 and 1988, historic campaigns that expanded Black political participation nationwide.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, praising his commitment to civil rights and social justice.

Jackson also played a role in international diplomacy, helping secure the release of three U.S. soldiers held in Yugoslavia in 1999 after direct talks with then-President Slobodan Milosevic.

In recent years, Jackson faced significant health challenges. He was initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017. In 2024, it was confirmed that he had progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurological disorder that affects balance, movement and speech. He was hospitalized in November 2025 for complications related to the condition but was later reported to be in stable condition.

Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Jackson, whom he married in 1962, their children and grandchildren.

For more than six decades, Jesse Jackson stood at the forefront of America’s struggle for civil rights, leaving behind a legacy defined by activism, political ambition and an enduring call for equality.