Reverend Jesse Jackson, a defining force in the struggle for civil and human rights in the United States, died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 84. Born in Greenville, South Carolina in 1941, Jackson marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma and was present at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968.
In 1971, Jackson's organization Operation PUSH campaigned to secure jobs, fair loans, and contracts for Black workers, Jackson insisted throughout his life that civil rights and economic rights could not be separated.
Through the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson built a broad movement that championed the rights of women, LGBT people, immigrants, and the poor. His two presidential campaigns, in 1984 and 1988, registered millions of new voters. Reverend Jackson believed in an expansive, multiracial democracy and spent decades speaking out against voter suppression and political disenfranchisement.
His commitment to human rights extended beyond the United States, and he was a particularly strong voice in support of efforts to end apartheid in South Africa.
He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and six children.
The following quote can be attributed to Trey Walk, US program researcher and advocate at Human Rights Watch:
"The United States is a better place because of Reverend Jesse Jackson. His commitment to human dignity for all fueled his trailblazing activism that brought justice for many who were suffering. We will miss Reverend Jackson. But we find comfort knowing his work to expand democracy and protect rights will endure."
