Rev. Jesse Jackson, a legendary civil rights leader, Democratic presidential candidate, and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, has died at the age of 84.
Jackson marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., negotiated global hostage releases, and challenged corporations over their lack of diversity and support for voting rights.
He had been hospitalized on November 12 after a long battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neuromuscular disease similar to Parkinson’s.
Jackson was also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and one of the world’s most influential Black activists.
“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 said in a statement on Instagram. “He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family.”
Jackson’s life and work left an indelible mark on civil rights, social justice, and global activism.
