Civil rights icon Jesse Jackson dead at 84

Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate, passed away at the age of 84.

Jackson's family said he died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family. He had been in declining health for several years.

"His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity," they said in a statement. "A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless from his presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilizing millions to register to vote -- leaving an indelible mark on history."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement Tuesday mourning the death of Jackson.

"I grew up watching Reverend Jesse Jackson lead a national movement that fought for justice for poor and working people,” Bass said. “I am deeply saddened by his passing, but profoundly grateful for the example he set and the generation of leaders he inspired." 

Bass said Jackson helped elect Black leaders and paved the way for the eventual election of President Barack Obama.

"He leaves a lasting legacy of hope and it is now up to us to Keep Hope Alive!" she added.

"Today, we have lost not only a historic civil rights leader, but a brother in the movement," said Roman Palomares, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National President and Chairman of the Board. "Reverend Jesse Jackson walked with us and stood firm beside the Latino community when it mattered most. He believed that justice is indivisible, that when one community is denied dignity, we are all diminished. We mourn his passing deeply, and we recommit ourselves to the work he never abandoned."

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn also paid tribute to Jackson.

"Reverend Jesse Jackson was a giant of the civil rights movement who not only demanded change -- he built the political power to pursue it," Hahn said in a statement.

"During the 1988 presidential campaign, several candidates sought my father Kenny Hahn's endorsement, but he proudly chose Reverend Jackson because he believed deeply in his vision of an America rooted in justice, dignity, and opportunity. Reverend Jackson may not have won, but his campaigns changed what millions of Americans believed was possible."

The Los Angeles Urban League remembered Jackson as a transformative civil rights leader.

"Rev. Jesse Jackson was more than a leader -- he was a moral force," Cynthia Mitchell-Heard, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League, said in a statement. “He challenged America to live up to its highest ideals and demanded that opportunity, dignity, and economic justice be extended to all people. His iconic voice moved generations, and his courage reshaped the national conscience.”

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is running for governor, offered personal remembrances on social media.

"As a young organizer, the first presidential candidate I ever campaigned for was Jesse Jackson, whose courage and moral clarity inspired a generation to believe that our democracy could be more inclusive and more just," Villaraigosa posted on X. "Reverend Jackson gave voice to the hopes of those too often left out, and he challenged America to live up to its highest ideals. I will always be grateful for the example he set for me and so many others who chose a life of public service because we believed, as he did, in the power of coalition and conscience."

Los Angeles civil rights activist Najee Ali, leader of Project Islamic Hope, called Jackson his mentor and longtime friend.

"Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. did not just witness history -- he forced this nation to confront its conscience," Ali said. "For more than 60 years, he stood on the front lines of the struggle for justice, demanding accountability, equity, and dignity for Black people, the poor, and the oppressed.”

Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson said Jackson was a major contributor to civil rights in Los Angeles.

"Jesse Jackson led many battles against police abuse and job and housing discrimination in L.A. in years past," Hutchinson said Tuesday. "He worked closely on these issues with Los Angeles civil rights organizations and city officials. He will remain a major contributor to L.A.'s civil rights legacy."

Former Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, a Brentwood resident, released the following statement Tuesday:

"Reverend Jesse Jackson was one of America's greatest patriots. He spent his life summoning all of us to fulfill the promise of America and building the coalitions to make that promise real.

"As a young law student, I would drive back and forth from Oakland, where I lived, to San Francisco, where I went to school. I had a bumper sticker in the back window of my car that read: `Jesse Jackson for President.' As I would drive across the Bay Bridge, you would not believe how people from every walk of life would give me a thumbs up or honk of support. They were small interactions, but they exemplified Reverend Jackson's life work -- lifting up the dignity of working people, building community and coalitions, and strengthening our democracy and nation," Harris continued.

Obama also posted on social media. “Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of a true giant, the Reverend Jesse Jackson. We will always be grateful for Jesse's lifetime of service, and the friendship our families share. We stood on his shoulders. We send our deepest condolences to the Jackson family and everyone in Chicago and beyond who knew and loved him.”

President Donald Trump said Jackson "was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and street smarts. He was very gregarious -- Someone who truly loved people!"

Jackson's health had sharply declined in recent weeks. He announced in 2017 that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and was recently diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurodegenerative condition similar to Parkinson's. Reports emerged in November 2025 that Jackson was placed on life support.

Born in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson was a protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and was famously at King's side moments after the civil rights pioneer was assassinated on the balcony of a Memphis motel in 1968.

After King's death, Jackson fell out with Ralph Abernathy, King's successor as chairman of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and went on to found the groups that would merge to form the Rainbow/PUSH organization, which promote civil rights and political activism throughout the United States.

The group established a headquarters in Chicago and that became Jackson's base of operations as he increasingly gained influence in the Democratic Party, successfully taking on powerful Mayor Richard Daley in a dispute over delegate seating at the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami. As leader of Rainbow/PUSH, he continued to advocate for voting rights, lead boycotts of companies for alleged discrimination and generally push for more Black, female and minority representation in all walks of public life.

Jackson launched a groundbreaking campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984, winding up in third place in the delegate count behind former Vice President Walter Mondale and Colorado Sen. Gary Hart. Jackson was given a prime-time spot to address that summer's Demonstration convention and delivered an electrifying speech that set him up for another run in 1988.

Jackson's 1988 campaign garnered even more votes and mainstream media attention, as he seriously challenged the front-runner, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, for the nomination. Jackson won primaries in several deep South states and in Michigan, but eventually lost the nomination to Dukakis.

Jackson's activities were not confined to domestic politics. In 1983, he negotiated with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad to secure the release of a captured American pilot, Navy Lt. Robert Goodman. He followed that up in 1984 by negotiating the release of 22 Americans being held in Cuba after an invitation by Cuban president Fidel Castro.

Jackson continued serving as an advocate for progressive policies and self-determination among urban youth in the 1990s. He traveled to Los Angeles after the deadly 1992 riots sparked by the acquittal of four policemen in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, pleading for both justice in the courts and peace in the streets.

He also hosted the public affairs show "Both Sides with Jesse Jackson" on CNN from 1992 to 2000.

As the 2008 presidential election got underway in 2007, Jackson endorsed Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Jackson had clashed with Obama at times during the campaign for trying to appeal too much to the political center in his view, but the image of a tearful Jackson at Obama's election-night victory speech went viral and confirmed that the weight of a historic moment in U.S. history that Jackson himself helped to make possible wasn't lost on the reverend.

Jackson was often a lightning rod for controversy. Some in King's inner circle questioned the accuracy of his often-repeated statement that King "died in my arms."

He earned the enmity of many in the Jewish community for referring to New York City as "Hymietown" in remarks to a Washington Post reporter during the 1984 presidential campaign.

In January 2001, news emerged that Jackson had an affair with a staff member that resulted in the birth of a daughter.

Jackson had five children with his wife, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown. One of them, Jesse Jackson Jr., served in Congress as the representative from Illinois' 2nd congressional district from 1995 until he resigned in 2012 amid an investigation into financial improprieties.

His oldest daughter, Santita Jackson, is a singer who has toured with Roberta Flack and performed the National Anthem at President Bill Clinton's second inauguration.

Jackson stepped down as leader of Rainbow/PUSH in 2023 due to his age and health issues.

Additional reporting by City News Service.