The global community is mourning the loss of the Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr., a monumental figure in the American Civil Rights Movement and a two-time presidential candidate, who passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 84.
Jackson, a protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, died peacefully at his home surrounded by family.
In a statement, the Jackson family described him as a “servant leader” who dedicated his life to the “oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked.”
For over six decades, Jesse Jackson was a fixture on the front lines of social justice.
From the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches to his historic “Rainbow Coalition” presidential bids in 1984 and 1988, Jackson redefined the possibilities for Black political power in America.
”Our father was a servant leader—not only to our family, but to the world,” the family statement read. “His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions.”
While a cause of death was not immediately specified, Jackson had been battling Parkinson’s disease since 2017 and was later diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurological disorder. Despite these health challenges, he remained active in advocacy until his final days.
U.S President Donald Trump has led the country in paying tribute to Jesse Jackson.
He described Jackson as a “force of nature like few others before him” in a tribute following the civil rights leader’s death.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump described Jackson as a good man with “lots of personality, grit, and street smarts”.
He said it was his pleasure to “help Jesse along the way”, and says this is despite – he claims – that he is consistently called a racist by the “scoundrels and lunatics” on the “radical left”.
“He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!” he adds
Also, former U.S president Joe Biden, in his tribute, said Jackson was “unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of our nation”.
He stated that Jackson led the U.S “through tumult and triumph” with a sense of optimism and “a relentless insistence on what is right and just”.
“Reverend Jackson believed in his bones the promise of America: that we are all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives,” Biden says in a post on X.
“While we’ve never fully lived up to that promise, he dedicated his life to ensuring we never fully walked away from it either.”
Bill and Hillary Clinton have also shared a tribute to Jesse Jackson in the last few minutes.
The couple says they are “deeply saddened” by his death as they outline that they have been friends for “almost fifty years” since meeting in 1977.
“From his early days working with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr; to his founding of the organizations now united as Rainbow/PUSH; to his efforts to free innocents and promote fair elections around the globe, Reverend Jackson championed human dignity and helped create opportunities for countless people to live better lives,” the statement reads.
Similarly, former U.S President Barack Obama in his tribute said: “Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of a true giant, the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
“For more than 60 years, Reverend Jackson helped lead some of the most significant movements for change in human history. From organizing boycotts and sit-ins, to registering millions of voters, to advocating for freedom and democracy around the world, he was relentless in his belief that we are all children of God, deserving of dignity and respect.
“Reverend Jackson also created opportunities for generations of African Americans and inspired countless more, including us. Michelle got her first glimpse of political organizing at the Jacksons’ kitchen table when she was a teenager. And in his two historic runs for president, he laid the foundation for my own campaign to the highest office of the land.
“Michelle and I will always be grateful for Jesse’s lifetime of service, and the friendship our families share. We stood on his shoulders. We send our deepest condolences to the Jackson family and everyone in Chicago and beyond who knew and loved him.”
Former vice-president Kamala Harris has paid tribute to Jackson, calling him “one of America’s greatest patriots”.
Harris, who ran on the Democratic ticket for the White House in 2024 says in a post on X that Jackson’s own campaigns for the nomination “electrified millions of Americans and showed them what could be possible”.
“He let us know our voices mattered. He instilled in us that we were somebody. And he widened the path for generations to follow in his footsteps and lead,” she stated.
