United State – The Rev. Jesse Jackson, one of the most prominent figures of the modern civil rights movement, has died at the age of 84. His passing follows a prolonged struggle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disease that gradually limited his mobility and speech but did not silence his activism.
Jackson rose to national prominence working alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s, becoming a powerful advocate for racial equality, voting rights, and economic justice. In the decades that followed, he transformed grassroots activism into national political influence, launching historic presidential campaigns in the 1980s that expanded representation within American politics.
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Jackson also pushed corporations to diversify leadership and championed global human rights causes. Even in recent years, he remained active, including participating in protests in Washington, D.C., where he was arrested in 2021 while advocating for voting rights reform.
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton and others have credited Jackson with helping bridge earlier generations of protest with contemporary policy debates. His son, Jesse Jackson Jr., carried forward that legacy in Congress.
Rev. Jackson’s life reflected more than five decades of advocacy aimed at broadening opportunity and strengthening democratic participation. His legacy endures in the movements he inspired and the communities he empowered.
