The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights leader who marched alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and later ran twice for president, has died, his family said Tuesday. He was 84.
Jackson died peacefully Tuesday morning surrounded by family, according to a statement.
He had been hospitalized for observation in November and was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative neurological disorder. In 2017, Jackson disclosed that he had Parkinson’s disease, calling it a “physical challenge” but vowing to continue his activism.
Born Oct. 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson rose to prominence in the 1960s as part of King’s inner circle and was in Memphis in 1968 when King was assassinated. He had left Chicago Theological Seminary to work with King and later received a master of divinity degree based on his life’s work.
After King’s death, Jackson founded Operation PUSH and later the Rainbow Coalition, organizations focused on economic empowerment and voter engagement. He sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, winning several primaries and expanding Black political participation nationwide.
Over decades, Jackson remained a prominent political voice, serving as an envoy under President Bill Clinton and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000.
He is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Jacqueline, and several children.