Civil rights legend and former presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson has passed away just months after he was hospitalized in Chicago. He was 84 years old.
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According to his organization, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, surrounded by his family.
“His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity,” the organization shared. “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 Jackson family further spoke out. “Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” their statement reads. “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.”
Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, their children Sanita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Ysef, and daughter Ashley Jackson, and grandchildren.
The cause of death has not been revealed. However, the civil rights activist was hospitalized in late 2025 with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). The condition impacted his ability to walk, balance, make eye movements, and swallow.
He had also been battling Parkinson’s disease.
Jackson Was First Known As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Protégé
Jackson was known in the 1960s as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s protégé. He even witnessed the late civil rights legend’s assassination.
Following the death of King, Jackson spent decades advocating for racial equality and economic justice. He previously ran for president in the 1984 and 1988 elections. Jackson was later elected as Washington, D.C.’s two “shadow senators” to lobby for D.C. statehood. He only served one term.
Jackson also negotiated for the numerous releases, including a U.S. Navy pilot from Syrian captors in 1984, and nearly 20 Americans held in Cuba in the same year. He also advocated for the release of 700 women and children from Iraq in 1990, three U.S. soldiers being held in Yugoslavia in 1999, and two Gambian Americans from a West African prison in 2012.
He founded and led Rainbow PUSH Coalition until 2023.