Remembering Jesse Jackson: Tributes pour in for the late civil rights leader

Rev. Jesses Jackson dies at the age of 84

Civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson died Tuesday morning at the age of 84.

CHICAGO - The death of Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Chicago civil rights leader and political trailblazer who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the city and the nation. Jackson died Tuesday at the age of 84.

The backstory:

He was a civil rights leader, a politician and community activist. He met Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, and they were married in 1962. Together, they had five children. It was at a time of civil unrest and the height of the civil rights movement.

He went to work for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was with King when he was assassinated in 1968. It was after King's death that Jackson took the reins and became known as one of the premier leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1971, he founded a group called People United to Save Humanity or Operation Quick.

In 1984, Jackson ran for the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination, but lost to Walter Mondale. He tried again in 1988 and landed in second place in the Democratic primaries, falling to then Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis. Jackson transitioned his activism from protest to politics.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader and staunch activist, dies at 84

Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Chicago-based civil rights icon, political trailblazer, and lifelong advocate for equality who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and inspired generations with his call to "never look down on anybody unless you are helping him up," has died at 84.

It was at about the same time that he formed a group he named the National Rainbow Coalition, because it was made up of people from all races and ethnic backgrounds.

During his lifetime, Jackson collected more than 35 honorary degrees and was recognized over and over for his efforts to help those less fortunate.

In 2017, Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but he still kept a public face. In September 2021, he and his wife were hospitalized with COVID. He had been vaccinated, she had not. It affected his Parkinson's and his ability to walk and talk, and he had to undergo intensive therapy. But before long, he was back in the public eye doing what he did best, protesting injustice and bringing attention to issues for the less fortunate.

Jackson once said, "never look down on anybody unless you are helping him up." It was a mantra he lived by, one he's inspired others to continue as he leaves a significant legacy behind that helped pave the way for the modern civil rights movement we all know today.

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Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader and staunch activist, dies at 84

Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Chicago-based civil rights icon, political trailblazer, and lifelong advocate for equality who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and inspired generations with his call to "never look down on anybody unless you are helping him up," has died at 84.

Rev. Jesse Jackson remembered

Reactions and Tributes:

Tributes are pouring in from elected officials, civil rights leaders and community members across the country, all remembering Jackson’s decades-long fight for justice and the lasting impact he made on generations.

Jackson Family

Jackson’s family said that he was a "a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world."

"Our father was a servant leader – not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the work," the Jackson family said in a statement. "We shared with him the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by."

Rev. Al Sharpton

Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton paid tribute in a statement on social media, calling Jackson his "mentor" and "a movement unto himself."

"Today, I lost the man who first called me into purpose when I was just twelve years old," Sharpton said on X. "And our nation lost one of its greatest moral voices. The Reverend Dr. Jesse Louis Jackson was not simply a civil rights leader; he was a movement unto himself. He carried history in his footsteps and hope in his voice. One of the greatest honors of my life was learning at his side."

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Rainbow/PUSH

Rainbow/PUSH, the nonprofit formed of two merged organizations that Jackson founded, announced his death on social media.

"His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity," the statement read. "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."

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis

Congressman Danny Davis released a statement on the passing of Jackson, calling him a friend and comrade in the fight for civil rights, human rights, and dignity for people around the world.

"We are saddened, extremely saddened, to hear of the passing of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson," Davis said. "Of course, we have known that he was ill for quite some time and that, ultimately, it would come. Nevertheless, we were hoping that he would continue to live. But the work, the spirit, what he has meant not only to the city, the state, country, and this world will continue to live on."

State Sen. Willie Preston

Illinois State Sen. Willie Preston remembered Jackson as a powerful voice for Black America and a personal inspiration who taught generations to stand up and speak out.

"The world grieves the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. but nowhere as much as in Black America and in Chicago: Our people have lost our reverend," Preston said in a statement. "As a boy his example told me that 'I AM somebody.' When I had the privilege to meet him as a young activist, he encouraged all of us to speak truth to the mighty powers that corrupt and oppress us - and without compromise."