United States civil rights activist and two-time presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson has been confirmed dead at the age of 84.
Jackson’s family announced his death via a statement, saying he died in the early hours of Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
The family stated: “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, an inspirational orator and long-time Chicagoan, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017.
He announced in 2017 at age 76 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a movement disorder marked by trembling, stiffness and poor balance and coordination, after experiencing symptoms for three years.
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The media-savvy Jackson advocated for the rights of Black Americans and other marginalised communities dating back to the turbulent civil rights movement of the 1960s, spearheaded by his mentor King, a Baptist minister and towering social activist.
Jackson weathered a spate of controversies but remained America’s preeminent civil rights figure for decades.
He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, attracting Black voters and many white liberals in mounting unexpectedly strong campaigns, but fell short of becoming the first Black major party White House nominee. Ultimately, he never held elective office.
Jackson founded the Chicago-based civil rights groups Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition and served as Democratic President Bill Clinton’s special envoy to Africa in the 1990s.
Jackson also was instrumental in securing the release of a number of Americans and others held overseas in places including Syria, Cuba, Iraq, and Serbia.
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