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Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has died aged 84, family says
The Rev Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist and two-time presidential candidate, died on Tuesday aged 84, his family said, according to NBC News.
A statement from the Jackson family read:
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.
The cause of Jackson’s death was not given. His family said he died peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones.
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As we mentioned in the opening post, no cause of death was immediately given by the Rev Jesse Jackson’s family.
In 2017, he revealed he had Parkinson’s, an incurable neurological disease that can cause tremors and affect coordination.
“After a battery of tests, my physicians identified the issue as Parkinson’s disease, a disease that bested my father,” Jackson said at the time.
“Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it.”
Jackson had had progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) for more than a decade. He was also twice hospitalised with Covid in recent years.
Our father left an 'indelible mark on history', family says
Here is the Jackson family statement in full:
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Civil Rights leader and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Honorable Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family.
His 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 from his Presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilising millions to register to vote – leaving an indelible mark on history.
Reverend Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline; their children – Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline; daughter Ashley Jackson, and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother, Helen Burns Jackson; father, Noah Louis Robinson; and stepfather, Charles Henry Jackson.
“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 honour his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
Public observances will be held in Chicago. Final arrangements for Reverend Jackson’s celebration of life services, including all public events, will be released by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has died aged 84, family says
The Rev Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist and two-time presidential candidate, died on Tuesday aged 84, his family said, according to NBC News.
A statement from the Jackson family read:
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.
The cause of Jackson’s death was not given. His family said he died peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones.
English (US) ·