The Reverend Jesse Jackson, a towering figure of the American civil rights movement and a two-time presidential candidate who shattered political glass ceilings for Black Americans, died Tuesday morning at his home in Chicago. He was 84.
His daughter, Santita Jackson, confirmed the news, stating her father passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. In a moving statement, the Jackson family described the Baptist minister as a “servant leader” whose life was defined by a relentless advocacy for those he called the “voiceless and the overlooked".
“We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family,” the family statement read. “His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honour his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
Jackson’s death marks the end of an era for the generation of leaders who emerged from the 1960s civil rights struggle. A protégé of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Jackson was a fixture of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and was famously standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968.
Following King’s death, Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) in Chicago, which later merged with his National Rainbow Coalition. These organisations became the engines for his lifelong mission to bridge the gap between social activism and corporate and political power.
Reverend Al Sharpton, a long-time ally and mentee, praised Jackson as a “consequential and transformative leader” who changed the course of the nation. Sharpton noted that Jackson’s work taught children from broken homes that they did not have "broken spirits".
Jackson’s most enduring political legacy remains his 1984 and 1988 bids for the Democratic presidential nomination. While he did not win, his "Rainbow Coalition" campaigns proved that a Black candidate could mobilise a multi-racial, working-class base and compete on the national stage. His efforts led to the registration of millions of new voters and paved the way for the eventual election of Barack Obama.
International leaders also paid tribute to Jackson's global impact. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu noted that Jackson was a "moral voice and a formidable resistance to apartheid," highlighting his role in the campaign to release Nelson Mandela.
In his final years, Jackson faced significant health challenges. Though he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017, his family later clarified that he suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare and degenerative neurological disorder. Despite his declining mobility and speech, he remained active in public life, recently appearing at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
As news of his passing spread, figures from across the political spectrum recognised his role as a "pathfinder". Public observances and memorial services are expected to take place in Chicago, the city that served as the headquarters for his decades of activism.