The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a prominent civil rights leader and two-time Democratic presidential candidate, has died at 84. His family confirmed his peaceful passing in a statement.

“Our father was a servant leader—not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family wrote. “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 honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”

While the family did not specify a cause of death, Jackson had been hospitalized in November last year for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative condition. He was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017 and hospitalized twice with COVID in recent years.

Born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson showed an early interest in politics. He excelled in school, becoming class president and earning a football scholarship to the University of Illinois. He later transferred to North Carolina A&T, an HBCU where he first became involved in the civil rights movement. In 1960, he was arrested along with seven other students for a silent demonstration in a library reserved for white students, which eventually led to its desegregation.

After moving to Chicago and being ordained as a minister, he caught the attention of Martin Luther King Jr. He later participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches and was appointed by King to lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Operation Breadbasket, which focused on creating economic opportunities and jobs for Black communities through strategic boycotts.

In 1968, Jackson was with King when he was assassinated in Memphis. The following day, he controversially appeared on television wearing clothes still stained with King’s blood. After King’s death, Jackson unofficially assumed a leadership role in the civil rights movement, gaining significant influence through Operation PUSH, which he founded in the early 1970s following a split within Operation Breadbasket.

In the 1980s, he gained further recognition for his two presidential campaigns as the Democratic nominee. He ran on a platform he called the “rainbow coalition,” aiming to unite disenfranchised and marginalized voters from diverse backgrounds and criticizing the negative impact of President Reagan’s policies on Black and low-income communities.

Although his 1984 campaign was unsuccessful, it raised his national profile significantly. When he ran again in 1988 on a platform of increased public spending and universal healthcare, he took an early lead and earned nearly 7 million votes, though he ultimately lost to Michael Dukakis.

While Jackson was not the first Black candidate to run as the Democratic nominee for president, many figures—including President Obama—have acknowledged his role in paving the way for Black political leaders on the national stage in the decades that followed.

Jackson also faced controversies throughout his career. In the 1980s, his use of a pejorative term for Jewish people strained his relationship with Jewish leaders and led to accusations of antisemitism. Earlier in his career, he was also criticized for other actions.He was known for his anti-abortion stance and opposition to same-sex marriage, though he later shifted his views on both. His reputation also faced scrutiny after the disclosure of an extramarital affair in 2001, as well as a series of scandals involving his son, Jesse Jackson Jr., in the early 2010s. Jackson Jr. was convicted and imprisoned for misusing campaign funds during his tenure as the U.S. representative for Illinois’s 2nd congressional district.

Above all, however, Jackson will be remembered for his powerful oratory, his influential work in building coalitions across racial and economic lines, and the path he paved for future Black leaders. Among those who have already paid tribute are civil rights activist Al Sharpton, who called Jackson his “mentor”; Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.; and newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“He marched, he ran, he organized, and he preached justice without apology,” Mamdani wrote. “May we honor him not just in words, but in struggle.”

Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the passing of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson designed to cover a range of inquiries from basic to more detailed

Basic Information
Q Is it true that Jesse Jackson has died
A Yes Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson passed away on He was 84 years old

Q Who was Jesse Jackson
A Jesse Jackson was a prominent American civil rights leader Baptist minister and politician He worked alongside Dr Martin Luther King Jr founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and was a twotime candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination

Q How did he die
A The official cause of death has not been publicly released though he had been managing health challenges in recent years

His Life and Legacy
Q What was Jesse Jacksons most famous achievement
A While he had many he is widely recognized for his relentless work in voter registration economic justice and international diplomacy including negotiating the release of American hostages and prisoners abroad

Q Did he really run for president
A Yes twice He ran groundbreaking campaigns for the Democratic nomination in 1984 and 1988 registering millions of new voters and inspiring a diverse coalition finishing as a strong runnerup in 1988

Q What is the Rainbow PUSH Coalition
A Its the civil rights organization Jackson founded merging Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition It advocates for social justice corporate diversity and political empowerment

Q What was his connection to Martin Luther King Jr
A He was an aide to Dr King and was with him in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968 Jackson helped continue Kings work focusing on economic inclusion and political mobilization

Impact and Context
Q Why is his passing such a big news story
A Jackson was a towering figure for over 50 years a key architect of the modern civil rights movement who remained active and influential well into the 21st century His death marks the end of an era