Jesse Jackson, legendary civil rights leader, dies at 84
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering figure in the U.S. civil rights movement who marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr., advocated for voting rights, and negotiated high-profile international hostage releases, has died at the age of 84.
Jackson had been hospitalised on November 12, 2025, after battling progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative neuromuscular disease similar to Parkinson’s. He was a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, a two-time Democratic presidential candidate, and one of the most prominent Black activists worldwide.
A statement from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which Jackson founded, announced his passing: “He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family.” Despite his illness, Jackson remained active in civil rights advocacy, including protests in 2021 over the Senate filibuster rule. That same year, he and his wife Jacqueline were hospitalised due to COVID-19 complications.
Born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1941, Jackson’s activism began as a teenager when he was arrested at 18 for protesting segregation in his local library. He later joined Martin Luther King Jr.’s movement and witnessed King’s assassination in 1968. Jackson founded the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and ran for president in 1984 and 1988, mobilising millions of Black voters.
Jackson’s work extended globally. In 1983 and 1984, he negotiated the release of Americans from Syria and Cuba, and in 1990 and 1999, he helped secure the release of hostages and POWs in Iraq and Kosovo. Domestically, he championed Black employment through the SCLC’s Operation Breadbasket and continued advocating for social justice throughout his life.
Jackson also supported modern movements against racial injustice. He visited Minneapolis in 2021 during protests over the killings of George Floyd and Daunte Wright, encouraging young activists to persist in their struggle for justice.
His influence shaped generations of leaders, including Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000, praising his intellect, compassion, and relentless passion for equality. Activists such as Trahern Crews credit Jackson’s signature “I am Somebody” message with inspiring contemporary movements like Black Lives Matter.
Jackson leaves behind a legacy as a relentless fighter for civil rights, justice, and equality, whose life-long dedication reshaped American society and inspired global activism.
