Civil rights leader the Rev Jesse Jackson dies at 84

Civil rights leader and former presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson died on Tuesday at 84.

His daughter, Santita Jackson, confirmed that he died at home in Chicago, surrounded by family, The Associated Press reported.

“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said in a statement. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family.”

Rev. Al Sharpton called Jackson, his mentor, “a consequential and transformative leader who changed this nation and the world.”

“He kept the dream alive and taught young children from broken homes, like me, that we don’t have broken spirits,” Sharpton said. “A giant has gone home.”

Jackson faced significant health challenges in his final years, including a rare neurological disorder that affected his ability to move and speak. However, he continued protesting into the era of Black Lives Matter. In 2024, Jackson appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and at a City Council meeting to show support for a resolution backing a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

When he was a young organizer in Chicago, Jackson was called to meet with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis shortly before King was killed, and afterward, he publicly positioned himself as King’s successor.

Jackson led crusades in the U.S. and abroad, advocating for the poor and underrepresented on voting rights, job opportunities, education, and healthcare. Through his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, he pressured business executives to make the U.S. a more equitable society.