Reverend Jesse Jackson, a prominent American civil rights activist, minister, and two-time Democratic presidential candidate, died on Tuesday, February 17, at his Chicago home at the age of 84. Jackson, who had been receiving treatment for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) since 2017, was surrounded by family. His family and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition issued statements acknowledging his commitment to justice, equality, and human rights. Memorial services took place across Chicago, Washington D.C., and his birth state of South Carolina, culminating in his interment in Chicago.
Early Life and Civil Rights Activism
Jesse Louis Jackson was born on October 8, 1941, in segregated Greenville, South Carolina, during the Jim Crow era, to an unwed teenage mother. Raised by his grandmother, he experienced conditions of racial segregation and limited amenities. He excelled academically and athletically, receiving a scholarship to the University of Illinois in 1959.
Jackson became involved in civil rights early in his life. In 1960, he participated in a sit-in at a segregated library in Greenville, leading to his arrest as a member of the "Greenville Eight." He later transferred to North Carolina Agricultural & Technical College, a historically Black institution, where he continued his activism.
In 1965, Jackson joined Martin Luther King Jr.'s voting rights campaign in Selma, Alabama. He became a close associate of King, leaving his graduate studies to join the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) as a full-time organizer. By 1967, he became the national leader of the SCLC's Operation Breadbasket in Chicago, an initiative focused on improving economic conditions for Black communities through boycotts and negotiations.
Jackson was present at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis when King was assassinated in April 1968. He stated on national television that he cradled King and heard his last words, a claim later disputed by other individuals present.
Post-King Era and Organizational Leadership
Following King's death, Jackson's association with the SCLC concluded. In 1971, he established his own organization, Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), which continued efforts to enhance political strength and economic opportunities for Black Americans. PUSH engaged with corporations to promote the hiring of Black executives and secure contracts for Black-owned businesses. He later merged Operation PUSH with his National Rainbow Coalition to form the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in 1996.
Early media assessments characterized Jackson as "radical in style, not in action."
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Jackson's influence expanded. He was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1968. In 1983, he organized a voter registration drive in Chicago that contributed to the election of the city's first Black mayor, Harold Washington.
Presidential Campaigns and Political Influence
In November 1983, Jackson announced his first presidential campaign, becoming the second Black person to seek a major party's nomination. His 1984 campaign appealed to a "Rainbow Coalition" of diverse Americans, including farmers, workers, women, students, racial minorities, and LGBTQ+ individuals, uniting them around common goals like fair prices, fair wages, and social services.
He registered over a million new voters and garnered 3.5 million votes, placing third in the Democratic primary. The campaign faced criticism regarding a controversial, off-the-record remark about New York's Jewish community and his association with Louis Farrakhan. Jackson later apologized for his comments and distanced himself from Farrakhan.
He ran for president again in 1988, expanding his outreach to include more white Americans. He secured 13 primaries and caucuses, nearly 7 million votes, and delivered a significant speech at the Democratic National Convention, popularizing his signature phrase, "Keep hope alive!" He placed second to Michael Dukakis.
Jackson's campaigns played a role in the Democratic Party's shift from a winner-take-all delegate system to a proportional allocation system, a change that later benefited Barack Obama's 2008 campaign. Until Obama's election, Jackson was the most successful Black U.S. presidential candidate.
Jackson did not pursue the presidency again but remained an influential figure within the Democratic Party, advocating for policies relevant to Black voters. His vision for a multicultural, ideological Democratic Party is seen by some as a blueprint for its 21st-century trajectory. His only electoral win was in 1990 as the District of Columbia's "shadow senator," a non-voting position.
International Diplomacy and Advocacy
Throughout his career, Jackson engaged in international diplomacy. He negotiated the release of American hostages from countries including Syria (1984), Cuba (1984), and Serbia/Yugoslavia (1999). He was also a leading voice against apartheid in South Africa, maintaining a close friendship with Nelson Mandela.
Jackson championed various social justice efforts, advocating for voting rights, employment opportunities, education, and healthcare for marginalized communities. He also advocated for the use of the term "African American" to identify Black people in the United States, emphasizing its cultural integrity.
Personal Life and Public Profile
Jackson's public life included controversies. Beyond the dispute over King's last words and his antisemitic remarks, news of him fathering a daughter with a former staff member became public in 2001, for which he accepted responsibility and apologized. In 2008, he apologized to Barack Obama for critical remarks made to a reporter.
Public records from his 1988 tax returns indicated his household income increased from $59,000 in 1984 to over $200,000 by 1987, with charitable donations reported as less than 1 percent of his income. At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at $4 million. He published a book in 2001 with his son, Jesse Jackson Jr., titled "It’s About the Money!: The Fourth Movement of the Freedom Symphony: How to Build Wealth, Get Access to Capital, and Achieve Your Financial Dreams."
His influence among some working-class populations reportedly decreased after the 1980s. During a visit to Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, following the death of Michael Brown, some attendees challenged him with comments such as:
"When you gonna stop selling us out, Jesse?"
Jackson hosted the CNN show "Both Sides with Jesse Jackson" from 1992 to 2000. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000 by President Bill Clinton, received the NAACP's President's Award, and was appointed commander of the Legion of Honor in France.
Jackson married Jacqueline Lavinia Brown in 1962. They had six children, including Jesse Jackson Jr. and Jonathan Jackson, who both pursued political careers. Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned from Congress in 2012 due to health issues and later pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds.
Health and Later Years
In 2017, Jackson announced a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Later that year, his organization disclosed he had progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurological disorder affecting movement, balance, vision, speech, and swallowing. Despite his illness, Jackson continued to participate in activism, including protests against police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020, and after the murder of George Floyd.
In 2021, he contracted COVID-19 and required hospitalization and rehabilitation, and also experienced a fall. He stepped down as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in 2023.
Death and Memorial Services
Jackson died peacefully at his Chicago home on February 17. A week of memorial services honored his life and legacy. His body lay in repose at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago and in state at the South Carolina state capitol. A request for him to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol rotunda was not approved.
A public homegoing service was held on Friday, attended by thousands at the House of Hope megachurch in Chicago. Dignitaries included former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also spoke.
Musical performances featured artists such as Jennifer Hudson, BeBe Winans, Pastor Marvin Winans, Stevie Wonder, Opal Staples, and Kim Burrell. Speakers referenced Jackson's impactful phrases, "I am somebody!" and "Keep hope alive!"
A private ceremony, primarily for family, allies, and confidants, took place on Saturday at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago. International tributes were offered by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, acknowledging Jackson's efforts against apartheid and his role as a peacemaker. Jackson was interred at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago.
Legacy and Impact
Reverend Jesse Jackson's life work transformed the civil rights movement and contributed to its integration into the Democratic Party structure. He is recognized for expanding political possibilities for Black Americans and other people of color, compelling the Democratic Party toward greater inclusivity and a more progressive ideological stance. His advocacy for voting rights, economic empowerment, and justice for marginalized communities, both domestically and internationally, left a significant mark on American politics and society. His family and civil rights leaders emphasized the importance of continuing his fight for justice, equality, and human rights.