Longtime Civil Rights Leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Dies at 84
Revered American civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. has died at the age of 84, his family and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition announced on Tuesday, marking the end of a life dedicated to justice,
equality and activism that spanned more than six decades.
Jackson died peacefully on the morning of February 17, 2026, surrounded by family, according to an
official statement released by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the organisation he founded and led for
decades to advocate for civil rights, economic justice and human dignity.
Born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson rose from the segregated South to
national prominence as a protégé of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., joining the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference and participating in pivotal civil rights demonstrations during the 1960s.
After King’s assassination in 1968, Jackson became one of the foremost civil rights advocates in the
United States. He founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) and later the National
Rainbow Coalition, which merged in 1996 to form the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a broad-based
organisation focused on civil rights, voter empowerment, economic justice and social equity.
Jackson was also a two-time Democratic presidential candidate, running energetic campaigns in 1984
and 1988 that helped break racial barriers and galvanise support among Black voters and progressive
constituencies nationwide.
Though he did not secure the nomination, his campaigns are widely credited with reshaping political
engagement in the United States.
For decades, Jackson was a prominent voice against racial and economic injustice, spearheading voter
registration drives, championing workplace diversity and civil rights protections, and engaging in
international diplomacy to secure the release of imprisoned Americans abroad. During his life, he
received numerous honours, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000.
In his later years, Jackson faced significant health challenges. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017 and later with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative disorder. He stepped down as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in 2023 as his health declined.
Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown Jackson, and six children. Plans for public
memorials and tributes are expected to be announced by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Leaders from across the political spectrum have already begun paying tribute to Jackson’s legacy,
reflecting his enduring impact on civil rights, political engagement and social justice both in the United
States and around the world.
By Oyinkansola Shittu.
