February 17, 2026
Rev. Jesse Jackson, Profound Civil Rights Leader and Philanthropist, Dies At 84
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition founder is known as a history maker, not only to the Black community but the world.
After battling sickness, Rev. Jessie L. Jackson Sr. has “died peacefully” at the age of 84.
In a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE, his family announced his Feb. 17 passing and called him “a servant leader.”
“Our father was a servant leader -not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around. We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family,” the Jackson family said.
“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.”
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition founder is known as a history maker, not only to the Black community but to the world. Following the 1968 assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University graduate picked up where he left off, continuing the fight for justice.
He penned famous pleas such as “keep hope alive” while running for president twice, giving speeches that captured the hearts of advocates and elected politicians, uplifting the Democratic Party during times of defeat. According to The New York Times, his 50-minute speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention was labeled as a “high point” when the party felt defeated against then-Republican candidate Ronald Reagan. “My constituency is the desperate, the damned, the disinherited, the disrespected and the despised,” Jackson once said.
“They are restless and seek relief.”
While he never sat in the Oval Office, Jackson was a known leader in the fight for equality, being celebrated on the cover of publications like BLACK ENTERPRISE three times. Born in the small, segregated Black community of Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson couldn’t hold back tears when he was present to see former President Barack Obama make his acceptance speech after being elected as the first Black president of the United States — a feeling felt around the world.
In a matter of hours, an outpouring of support and love has flooded social media, with kind words and remembrances from those he mentored and inspired over the years. Rev. Al Sharpton shared a throwback image of him alongside Jackson and the late James Brown, calling Jackson “his mentor” and saying, “During #BlackHistoryMonth, we are reminded to honor the giants who paved the way and to keep pushing forward.”
The new generation of elected officials also celebrated what the civil rights leader meant to them, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who remembered him as a man who “challenged America to live up to its promise for freedom and justice for all, always advocating for unity over division.”
He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and children, Jesse, Jr., Santita, Jonathan, Yusef, Ashley, and Jacqueline, and grandchildren. One of his granddaughters, who goes by @j_donatella on X, posted a touching message saying she is “thankful to have known you in this lifetime.”
While Rainbow PUSH will release final arrangements for Rev. Jackson’s life, public observances will be held in Chicago.
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