The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a Baptist minister and civil rights pioneer who twice ran for U.S. president, died Tuesday (Feb. 17) at the age of 84. Jackson, who had been in declining health, is survived by Jacqueline, his wife of 63 years, as well as six children and numerous grandchildren.
In 2017, Jackson said he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease following several years of symptoms. Last April, he was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurodegenerative condition that led to numerous infections. Near the end of 2025, Jackson was hospitalized and also received treatment in an acute-care facility.
Tributes for Jackson are pouring in from politicians, faith leaders, and civil rights leaders. In a statement, his family called him “a servant leader—not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world.” They added, “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.”
The Legacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson
Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was raised in a poor sharecropping family, was ordained in 1968. He worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was present at key events of the civil rights movement, including King’s assassination.
In 1971, Jackson formed Operation PUSH—People United to Save/Serve Humanity—to work for social and economic justice for Black Americans. That nonprofit later merged with his National Rainbow Coalition, which aimed to give Black citizens a voice in politics. Jackson transferred the presidency of Rainbow/PUSH in 2023.
RELATED: Jesse Jackson Transfers Presidency of Rainbow PUSH Coalition to Frederick Haynes III
Jackson ran for U.S. president as a Democrat in 1984 and 1988, receiving substantial support. From 1991 to 1997, he served in the U.S. Senate as a shadow delegate for the District of Columbia. Also a skilled negotiator, Jackson secured freedom for numerous prisoners of war.
In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Although he kept a lower profile near the end of his life, Jackson was honored as an Illinois delegate at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Jackson’s sermons and speeches were filled with messages about hope, worth, and justice. “I am somebody,” he urged crowds to shout.
Jackson also dealt with scandal, including an extramarital affair that resulted in the birth of a child. In 2013, his son Jesse Jackson Jr. served prison time for misusing campaign funds.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a Baptist minister and civil rights pioneer who twice ran for U.S. president, died Tuesday (Feb. 17) at the age of 84.Click to Post
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