Tributes Pour In as Civil Rights Icon Jesse Jackson Dies at 84

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84, his family has announced, marking the passing of one of the most influential figures in the global struggle for justice and equality.

In a statement, the Jackson family said he “died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family”.

They described his life as one defined by service and purpose, noting that his “unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity.”

The statement paid tribute to his decades-long activism, from his presidential campaigns in the 1980s to his efforts mobilising millions of voters and amplifying the voices of marginalised communities.

Jackson was the founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an organisation that became a central platform for advancing social and economic justice.

His family said he is survived by his wife Jacqueline and their children Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef and Jacqueline, along with 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,” the family said, encouraging people to honour his legacy by continuing the fight for the values he championed.

Public observances are expected to be held in Chicago, with further details of memorial services to be announced by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

While the cause of death has not yet been confirmed, Jackson had faced ongoing health challenges in recent years. He was hospitalised in November and had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare degenerative condition.

In 2017, he revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which he described as a “physical challenge” even as he remained active in civil rights advocacy.