Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist and icon, Baptist minister, presidential candidate, author, organizer, orator, husband, and father, passed away on Tuesday, February 17.
He was 84.
Public observances of Jackson’s legacy and life are expected to take place in his adopted home of Chicago this week and throughout Black History Month. Jackson played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement as a young organizer working under such luminaries as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ambassador Andrew Young, Dr. Ralph David Abernathy, and others. He then continued his work as one of the voices of Black pride and excellence throughout his personal and professional life. Along with founding People United to Save Humanity (PUSH) in 1971, Jackson ran for President of the United States in 1984 and 1988.
The 1984 campaign can arguably be considered the blueprint for United States President Barack Obama’s successful initial presidential campaign out of Chicago in 2008. Jackson made waves as a serious Democratic candidate during a time when Ronald Reagan-era politics made the idea of a Black President of the United States seem out of reach. His second run for the White House in 1988 may also have ended in defeat, but Jackson managed to take PUSH and merge it with his National Rainbow Coalition, now Rainbow PUSH Coalition, to further advocate for voting rights, social programs, and civil rights.
The Atlanta Voice featured Jackson on its front page numerous times during both presidential campaigns, as he made stops in Atlanta and received support from local political and religious leaders, including the late Civil Rights icon and United States Congressman John Lewis.
Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on October 8, 1941, as Jesse Louis Burns. He changed his surname in honor of his stepfather, Charles Henry Jackson, at the age of 15.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jacqueline Brown, and their five children, Santita, Jesse, Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, and Jacqueline, as well as his daughter, Ashley Jackson.
The Jackson family has not reported the cause of death, but has said Jackson was surrounded by family and passed peacefully. Jackson announced he was battling Parkinson’s disease in 2017.
Statements from Georgians of all walks of life flooded social media following Jackson’s passing.
Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock said of Jackson’s passing: “America has lost one of its great moral voices. Reverend Jesse Jackson spent his life working to ensure our nation lives up to its highest ideals. As a kid growing up in public housing while watching him run for president, Rev. Jesse Jackson gave me a glimpse of what is possible and taught me to say, ‘I am somebody!’”
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Senior Pastor Jamal Bryant said of Jackson: “Reverend Jackson was my superhero. While other boys my age wanted to be Michael Jordan, I wanted to be Jesse Jackson. His poise, passion, and purpose were my blueprint.”