Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson dies at 84

2026-02-17 - 12:25

WASHINGTON —The Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, the towering civil rights leader whose moral vision and fiery oratory reshaped the Democratic Party and America, died on Tuesday. He was 84.The Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose populist vision of a “rainbow coalition” of the poor and forgotten, made him the nation’s most influential Black figure in the years between the civil rights crusades of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the election of Barack Obama.His death was confirmed by his family in a statement, which said Jackson “died peacefully,” but did not give a cause.Jackson was hospitalized in November for treatment of a rare and particularly severe neurodegenerative condition, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the advocacy organization he founded.In 2017, Jackson announced that he had Parkinson’s disease, which in its early stages can produce similar effects on bodily movements and speech.Jackson died Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family, Rainbow PUSH said in a statement.“His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless – from his Presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilizing millions to register to vote – leaving an indelible mark on history,” the statement read.Jackson was what one pundit called “an American original.” He was born to an unwed teenage mom in Greenville, South Carolina, during the Jim Crow era but rose to become a civil rights icon and a groundbreaking politician who mounted two electrifying runs for the presidency in the 1980s.Jackson’s dual bids for the Democratic presidential nomination inspired Black America and stunned political observers who marveled at his ability to draw White voters. He was a Black crossover figure long before Barack Obama hit the national stage.Jackson first rose to national prominence in the 1960s as a close aide to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. After King’s assassination in 1968, Jackson became one of the most transformative civil rights leaders in America — to the chagrin of some of King’s aides, who thought he was too brash.But his Rainbow Coalition, a bold alliance of Blacks, Whites, Latinos, Asian Americans, AND Native Americans, helped pave the way for a more progressive Democratic Party.“Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow – red, yellow, brown, Black and White – and we’re all precious in God’s sight,” Jackson once said.One of Jackson’s signature phrases was “Keep hope alive.” He repeated it so often that some began to parody it, but it never seemed to lose meaning for him. He was a force for social justice over three eras: the Jim Crow period, the civil rights era and