Civil Rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson has died at age 84. This comes just months after he was put in the hospital due to a rare brain disorder.
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The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, which Jackson founded, released a statement confirming that Jackson passed away on Tuesday, February 17.
"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.," said a statement from the organization on Instagram. "He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family."
In addition to being a civil rights leader, Jackson was a former presidential candidate and also worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well. His family confirmed he "died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family," his loved ones
said in a Facebook statement.Jesse Jackson has died
"His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity," his family said. "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."
They continued, "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."
At this time, the family didn't reveal a cause of death. But last November, he was in the hospital for progressive supranuclear palsy. At the time, his family wrote, "He was originally diagnosed with Parkinson's disease; however, last April, his PSP condition was confirmed. The family appreciates all prayers at this time."
They also pushed back against inaccurate reports that he was on life support at the time. They described him as in stable condition then. "In fact, today he called for 2,000 churches to prepare 2,000 baskets of food to prevent malnutrition during the holiday season," his son, Yusef, added in a statement.
His legacy in civil rights lives on.
"His longevity is part of the story," said Rashad Robinson, the former president of the seven-million-member online justice organization Color of Change. "This is someone who had so many chances to do something else. And this is what chose to do with his life."
