Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr., one of the most enduring and influential figures of the modern Civil Rights Movement, has died at 84 following a lengthy illness.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Civil Rights leader and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Honorable Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.,” the organization shared in a statement. According to his family, he “died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family.”
In a separate message, the Jackson family reflected on both the man and the movement he embodied:
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world. We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. 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.”
No immediate cause of death was given. Jackson had been living for more than a decade with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a degenerative neurological disorder similar to Parkinson’s disease. He publicly revealed a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2017 and had been hospitalized in recent years, including for complications related to COVID-19.
For more than half a century, Jackson stood at the intersection of faith, protest, politics, and diplomacy — marching alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., launching historic presidential campaigns, confronting corporations over diversity and economic equity, and negotiating hostage releases abroad.
From the Segregated South to the National Stage
Born October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson came of age in the Jim Crow South. As a teenager, he experienced segregation firsthand — including being denied access to a whites-only public library. In 1960, he joined seven other young Black protesters in a peaceful sit-in at that same library. The group, later known as the “Greenville Eight,” were arrested for disorderly conduct. A judge ultimately ruled they had the right to use the publicly funded facility, and the library system was integrated later that year.
Jackson continued his activism at North Carolina A&T State University, where he earned a sociology degree, served as student body president, and participated in sit-ins in Greensboro. His leadership caught the attention of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who recruited him to work with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
By the mid-1960s, Jackson was a prominent organizer in King’s movement. He participated in the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights and later led Operation Breadbasket, the SCLC’s economic justice arm, which used boycotts and negotiations to pressure corporations to hire more Black employees and invest in Black communities.
He was at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968, when King was assassinated — a moment that would shape the trajectory of his life and leadership.
Building PUSH and the Rainbow Coalition
After King’s death, Jackson expanded his organizing efforts, founding People United to Save Humanity (PUSH) in 1971. The organization focused on economic empowerment, educational access, and corporate accountability. In the 1980s, he launched the National Rainbow Coalition, aiming to unite Black voters, working-class Americans, and progressive constituencies across racial lines.
The organizations later merged into the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, which became a national force advocating for voting rights, affirmative action, educational opportunity, and economic equality.
Jackson also became known for challenging corporate America, publicly confronting companies over hiring practices and representation while leveraging consumer boycotts to drive change.
Historic Presidential Campaigns
In 1984, Jackson ran for the Democratic nomination for president, becoming the second Black candidate to mount a serious nationwide campaign after Shirley Chisholm. He won more than 18% of the primary vote and captured several primaries and caucuses, signaling the growing power of Black voters and progressive coalitions within the Democratic Party.
He ran again in 1988, expanding his coalition and winning 11 primaries and caucuses before losing the nomination to Michael Dukakis.
Though he did not secure the nomination, Jackson’s campaigns reshaped national politics, registering millions of new Black voters and broadening the Democratic Party’s platform. Many political observers have credited his runs with helping lay the groundwork for future candidates, including Barack Obama.
In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his decades of public service and international advocacy.
A Global Advocate
Jackson’s activism extended beyond U.S. borders. In the 1980s and 1990s, he negotiated the release of Americans detained abroad — including a Navy pilot shot down over Syria, detainees in Cuba, hostages in Iraq during the Gulf War, and U.S. soldiers captured during the Kosovo conflict. His diplomatic interventions, often conducted outside formal government channels, expanded his global profile.
A Legacy Still Being Told
As we previously reported, Jackson’s life and impact are the subject of an upcoming three-part documentary series directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Prentice Penny (Insecure). The project is being developed through Jackson’s youngest daughter, Ashley Laverne Jackson, and her new production company, Rainbow Child Productions.
The series promises rare footage and deeply personal storytelling, centering Jackson’s legacy through the eyes of his family while chronicling his influence on civil rights, pop culture, American politics, and global affairs.
The End of an Era
Jackson remained active in public life well into his later years, appearing at protests, speaking out on voting rights and racial justice, and urging younger generations to continue organizing — even as illness softened his voice and slowed his stride.
His passing comes at a time when many of the battles he fought — over voting access, racial equity, economic justice, and the direction of American democracy — remain unresolved.
Public observances are expected to be held in Chicago, where Jackson built much of his organizing base. Additional details will be announced by the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and the Jackson family.
With his death, the nation loses one of its most persistent moral voices — a man who moved between pulpits, protest lines, political conventions, and global negotiations with the same message: justice requires action.