Reverend Jesse Jackson, one of the most influential figures of the US civil rights movement and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, has died at the age of 84, his family announced. They said he passed away peacefully, though no cause of death has been released. Jackson had been diagnosed with progressive supra nuclear palsy, a rare neurological condition.
Tributes emerged quickly from across the political spectrum. Former President Barack Obama praised Jackson as a “true giant,” noting that his groundbreaking presidential campaigns in the 1980s helped pave the way for Obama’s own path to the White House. Other leaders, including President Donald Trump, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and civil rights figures such as Reverend Al Sharpton, remembered Jackson as a force who championed justice, dignity, and opportunity for marginalized communities.
Born in 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson rose to prominence in the 1960s as a key figure in Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was present in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968. Over the decades, Jackson became a national voice for poor and working-class Americans, mobilizing millions of voters and advocating for human rights around the world.
Jackson is survived by his wife Jacqueline and their six children. His family said his lifelong commitment to equality “helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity,” leaving an enduring legacy on American politics and social life.
Source: BBC
Image: BBC
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