The civil rights activist Jesse Jackson has died aged 84..
A former aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and was a fixture in American politics for over six decades.
In a statement on Tuesday morning, Jackson’s family said he had died “peacefully” with his family by his side.
Their statement read:
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.
He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family.
His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity.
A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless from his Presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilising millions to register to vote – leaving an indelible mark on history.
Reverend Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline; their children – Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline; daughter Ashley Jackson, and grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Helen Burns Jackson; father, Noah Louis Robinson; and stepfather, Charles Henry Jackson.
Our father was a servant leader – not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world.
We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family.
His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honour his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.’
Public observances will be held in Chicago. Final arrangements for Reverend Jackson’s celebration of life services, including all public events, will be released by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
BREAKING: Civil rights icon and two-time presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson passed away on Tuesday morning at age 84, his family said in a statement.
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— ABC News (@ABC) February 17, 2026
While a specific cause of death was not immediately released, Jackson had been battling Parkinson’s disease since 2017 and was recently diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative neurological disorder.
Over his long career, Jackson specialized in the politics of racial grievance, frequently inserting himself into local flashpoints to amplify tensions along ethnic and social lines
His son, former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., was sentenced to federal prison in 2013 after pleading guilty to large-scale campaign fraud.
Despite that conviction, he announced last November that he intends to seek re-election to his former seat in Illinois’s 2nd Congressional District.
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