THE Rev. Jesse Jackson, the famed civil rights leader who marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and later ran for president, has died, his family says.
He was 84.
He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family, they said in a statement.
Jackson was hospitalized for observation in November, and doctors said he’d been diagnosed with a degenerative condition called progressive supranuclear palsy.
He revealed in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which affects the nervous system and slowly restricts movement and daily activities.
Jackson called it a “physical challenge,” but he refused to let it prevent him from continuing his civil rights advocacy.
His father, Noah Lewis Robinson Sr., also had Parkinson’s and died of the disease in 1997 at the age of 88.
Long known for his activism and political influence, Jackson spent his life dedicated to pursuing civil rights for disenfranchised groups both in the United States and abroad.
Jackson’s “unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless … leaving an indelible mark on history,” his family said.
“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. “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.”
As a young man, Jackson became a member of King’s circle and was with King when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.
That same year, Jackson was ordained by the Rev. Clay Evans, though he had dropped out of Chicago Theological Seminary three credits shy of a degree in order to work in the civil rights movement with King.
He was later awarded a Master of Divinity degree in 2000 from the seminary, based on his life’s work and experience.
Over the years, he received over 40 honorary doctorate degrees from top universities across the country, according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Chicago-based organization he led for decades.
Former US Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden and deputy President Kamila Harris, have sent messages of condolences to his family.
Surprisingly, the current President Donald Trump said the late Dr Jackson was his “friend” and “a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts’“ in a post on his social media website Truth Social.
“He was very gregarious – Someone who truly loved people!” Trump said, adding he was sending “my deepest sympathies and condolences” to his family.
Meanwhile, SA also joined in the world in sending condolences to the family.
He had a special place in his heart for SA, and came to visit to meet his idol Dr Nelson Mandela, upon his release.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation said he was ‘a special person, with special heart’, so did the South African Council of Churches, that said ‘he will be missed here in SA’- additional reporting, Sydney Morweng –News Ed.
Image provided (The late Rev. Jesse Jackson, recorded with former SA President Dr Nelson Mandela. The famed civil rights leader who marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and later ran for president, will be missed).
