The reverend Jesse Jacksonone of the most influential figures in the civil rights movement in the United States and a two-time presidential candidate, He died this Tuesday at the age of 84.his family reported.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Civil Rights leader and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalitionthe Honorable Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson,” he said in a statement on Instagram.
According to the message, he died “surrounded by his family”without specifying the causes.
Those close to the activist highlighted that it was a servant leader not only for his family, but also for the oppressed and marginalized in different parts of the world.
They stressed their “unwavering commitment to justice, equality and human rights” as well as his role in building a global movement for freedom and dignity.
Jackson’s death comes after several years of health complications. In 2017 he publicly revealed that he suffered from Parkinson’s and recognized then that daily activities had become an increasing challenge.
Who was Jesse Jackson? American civil rights leader
Born in Greenville, South Carolina, the son of a single mother, Jackson became one of the most visible voices in the African American activism in the second half of the 20th century.
He was a close collaborator of Martin Luther King Jr. and was in Memphis when the leader was assassinated in 1968.
Three years later, in 1971, he founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity)an organization focused on the defense of civil rights and social justice.
In 1996, after merging with The National Rainbow Coalition, the group adopted the name Rainbow PUSH Coalitionwith a multiracial and progressive profile.
From that platform he promoted voter registration campaigns, promoted political participation of African American communities and defended international causes linked to equity and human rights.
US presidential candidate Jesse Jackson
In the 1980s he took a historic step by seeking the cpresidential bid of the Democratic Party on two occasions.
Although he did not obtain the nomination, his campaigns expanded the debate about racial inclusion and economic justice within the American political scene.
Jackson’s presidential aspirations marked a precedent for minorities in the United States. His speech articulated social demands that, until then, had little presence on the national agenda.
His leadership was characterized by combining religious preaching—he was a Baptist minister—with a political strategy aimed at mobilizing sectors traditionally excluded from the vote.
Over the years, it established itself as mediator in social conflicts and a reference figure in moments of racial tension. In 2023 he officially left the leadership of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an organization he led for more than five decades.
Months before his death, he was hospitalized to receive treatment for a rare neurodegenerative disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)as reported by the organization itself.
Donald Trump’s reaction to the death of Jesse Jackson
The president of the United States, Donald Trumplamented the death of the activist and described it as “a good man, with a lot of personalitycourage and street smarts.”
In a message broadcast in Truth Social, he stated that he had known him before becoming President and maintained that, despite the accusations of racism that – he said – have been made against him, he always maintained a good relationship with Jackson.
He added that it was “a pleasure to help Jesse along the way,” in a statement that contrasted with the historical ideological differences between the two.
With his death, the United States loses one of the most emblematic figures in the world. civil rights movement contemporary, protagonist of a key stage in the expansion of political and social rights for millions of citizens.
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