The world bid farewell on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, to the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering figure in the American civil rights movement, Baptist minister, and two-time Democratic presidential candidate. Jackson died peacefully at age 84, surrounded by his family, after battling the rare neurodegenerative disorder Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) for more than a decade, as confirmed by his family and reported by multiple outlets including Nexstar Media and NBC News.
In a heartfelt statement, Jackson's family reflected on his life of service: "Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world. 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."
Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, and his children—Santita Jackson, former Rep. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., Jonathan Luther Jackson, Yusef DuBois Jackson, Esq., Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson, Jr., and, as noted by NBC News, a sixth child, along with multiple grandchildren. The Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the civil rights and social justice organization Jackson founded, had previously disclosed his ongoing battle with PSP, a disorder that gradually robs individuals of their ability to balance, swallow, and walk, with no known cure and only symptom management available.
Born Jesse Louis Jackson on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, to Helen Burns and Noah Louis Robinson, Jackson's early life was shaped by the harsh realities of the Jim Crow South. He grew up attending all-Black public schools, riding at the back of segregated buses, and drinking from "colored" fountains. These experiences fueled his determination to challenge and change the status quo. "It is where I get the drive to think I could change the South through the civil rights movement and run for President," Jackson told The New York Times in 1997.
Jackson's activism began in earnest during his college years at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College, a historically Black institution in Greensboro, North Carolina. He joined the local Congress of Racial Equality chapter and participated in sit-ins and protests against segregated public facilities. He later recalled to the Greensboro News & Record in 2015, "I came out of Greensboro. It was my launching pad. All that I subsequently became in the movement came out of the lessons I learned in Greensboro."
One of his earliest acts of protest came as a member of the "Greenville Eight"—a group of Black students who, in 1960, staged a sit-in at the whites-only Hughes Main Library in Greenville, South Carolina. Arrested for "disorderly conduct" after refusing to leave, Jackson and his peers helped force the city’s library system to integrate, a pivotal moment that set the tone for his lifetime of activism. "I felt the insult of segregation and the liberating power of going to jail for dignity," Jackson said, according to the News & Record.
Jackson’s leadership qualities soon caught the attention of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who brought him into the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Jackson was present for the historic Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965, organizing caravans of students to join the demonstrations after watching the violence of "Bloody Sunday" unfold on television. At a 2000 commemoration on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Jackson said, "The blood of Selma set all of us free... In Selma, America was reborn, democracy redefined, human rights redefined. The fruits of Selma are bountiful."
Jackson rose quickly within the SCLC, leading Operation Breadbasket in Chicago—a program designed to improve economic opportunities for Black Americans. Under his leadership, the initiative secured 2,000 new jobs worth $15 million annually for the Black community. By 1968, he was promoted to national director. Tragically, that same year, Jackson was with King at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis when King was assassinated. The trauma of that day remained with him. In a 2018 interview with CNN, Jackson recalled, "Every time I go back, it pulls a scab off and the wound is still raw. Every time, the trauma of the incident. His lying there. Blood everywhere. It hurts all the time."
After a period of tension with other SCLC leaders, Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity) in 1971, focusing on economic empowerment and social justice. In the mid-1990s, Operation PUSH merged with the National Rainbow Coalition—another Jackson-led initiative advocating for the working class, women, and racial minorities—to form the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. The organization remains dedicated to "protect, defend, and gain civil rights by leveling the economic and educational playing fields," as described on its website.
Jackson’s influence extended into national politics. He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and again in 1988, becoming only the second Black American to mount a nationwide campaign for president. His campaigns, built on promises of equality for racial minorities, the working class, and women, defied expectations. In 1988, he won 13 primaries and caucuses and garnered nearly 7 million votes. As he reflected to the Associated Press, "I was able to run for the presidency twice and redefine what was possible; it raised the lid for women and other people of color. Part of my job was to sow seeds of the possibilities."
Jackson’s career was not without controversy. During the 1984 campaign, he used a slur to describe Jews and later apologized. In 2001, he admitted to an extramarital affair that resulted in the birth of a daughter. Yet, he remained a visible and influential figure, even hosting "Saturday Night Live" in 1984, a testament to his prominence in American culture.
After his presidential runs, Jackson served as Washington D.C.'s "shadow senator" from 1991 to 1997, advocating for statehood for the district. He was later appointed U.S. special envoy to Africa by President Bill Clinton—a role he described as a "joy, privilege, and responsibility." He also became known for negotiating the release of hostages in Syria, Cuba, Iraq, and Kuwait, often acting independently to secure their freedom.
Jackson was a relentless advocate for voting rights and LGBTQ rights, becoming the first speaker at a Democratic National Convention to mention gay and lesbian Americans. He continued to push for social justice well into his later years, even after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017 and overcoming a battle with Covid-19 in 2021.
Upon his passing, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and fellow civil rights leaders such as Rev. Al Sharpton paid tribute. Sharpton called Jackson "a consequential and transformative leader who changed this nation and the world. He kept the dream alive and taught young children from broken homes, like me, that we don’t have broken spirits." For many, Jackson’s legacy is best summed up in his own words: "We want a system that's fair, and fairly applied. Americans want and deserve an even playing field with equal protection under the law, equal access and fairness."
Jesse Jackson’s journey from the segregated streets of Greenville to the halls of power in Washington and beyond leaves an indelible mark on American history—a testament to resilience, hope, and the ongoing fight for justice.