Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon and Rainbow PUSH founder, dies at 84, leaving a legacy of activism, diplomacy, and justice

Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., the towering civil rights activist and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, has died at the age of 84.

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Jackson, who marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr., negotiated international hostage releases, and championed corporate diversity and voting rights, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, surrounded by family, according to a statement from his organisation.

Hospitalised on November 12, 2025, Jackson had been battling progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative neurological condition similar to Parkinson’s disease.

Despite his illness, he continued to advocate for civil rights and was arrested twice in 2021 over his opposition to the Senate filibuster rule.

Jackson’s activism spanned decades, beginning in 1960 when he and seven others were arrested for protesting segregation at a public library in Greenville, South Carolina.

He joined Dr. King’s civil rights movement and was present in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968.

He founded the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, energising and registering millions of Black voters.

Jackson’s campaigns emphasised economic justice, social equality, and international diplomacy.

In 1983 and 1984, he negotiated the release of American hostages in Syria and Cuba, respectively.

Throughout his career, Jackson pressed companies to hire more Black employees through initiatives such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Operation Breadbasket and led protests against discriminatory practices.

He earned his divinity degree after being ordained a minister in 1968.

Jackson continued his advocacy into the 21st century, supporting protests over police violence in Minneapolis and attending services for victims including George Floyd and Daunte Wright.

He opposed the Iraq War in 1990, successfully negotiating the release of threatened hostages, and helped secure the freedom of U.S. POWs during the Kosovo conflict.

Former Color of Change president Rashad Robinson described Jackson as a “possibility model” whose work enabled leaders such as Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

In 2000, Jackson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Clinton in recognition of his lifelong dedication to justice, equality, and human rights.

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Jackson’s signature call-and-response mantra, “I am Somebody,” inspired generations of activists, empowering movements such as Black Lives Matter and instilling a sense of dignity and purpose in the fight against systemic racism.