The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who led the civil rights movement after Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination, died Tuesday at age 84.
Santita Jackson confirmed that her father died at home in Chicago, surrounded by family members.
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” Santita said in a statement. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family.”
There will be a public viewing and commemorations will be held in Chicago, where Jackson established an office for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina and later moved to Illinois, where he attended the predominantly white University of Illinois on a football scholarship.
While visiting home for Christmas break during his freshman year, Jackson tried to borrow a book from the public library but he couldn’t because the library was white-only.
He staged a library sit-in with seven other students and they were arrested for protesting.
Jackson transferred to North Carolina A&T, an HBCU, because the University of Illinois wouldn’t let him play quarterback.
At A&T, Jackson played quarterback and was elected student body president.
He attended Chicago Theological Seminary on a scholarship, but he dropped out to lead the civil rights movement.
He was awarded a Master of Divinity degree by Chicago Theological Seminary in 2000.
In 1965, Jackson participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches. Martin Luther King, Jr was impressed by his leadership abilities, and he gave Jackson a role in the SCLC.
In 1967, Jackson was promoted to national director of the SCLC. He began to organize massive boycotts to pressure white-owned businesses to hire Black people and to purchase goods and services from Black-owned businesses.
When MLK was shot on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine motel in Memphis, Jackson was in the parking lot below. He quickly ran upstairs to King’s side. Jackson was the last person to speak to King, who died in his arms.
After King’s assassination, Jackson led many boycotts and crusades in the United States and abroad. He advocated for the poor and underprivileged and he ran for president twice.
Current President Donald Trump donated to Jackson’s campaign for president.
Jackson met with world leaders, and launched his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition (People United to Save Humanity).
In 1972, Jackson organized the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition’s Save the Children Expo concert, held in Chicago. A concert film was released in movie theaters. The concert featured Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield, Quincy Jones, and more.
The concert film was lost for 50 years until Rev. Jackson restored the film in 2021 and it debuted to a new generation of viewers in 2024 at the Chicago International Film Festival. Netflix streamed the concert film the next day.
On November 12, 2025, Jackson was hospitalized in Chicago after experiencing respiratory problems. He was hospitalized again the following day at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).
On November 17, he was transferred out of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s intensive care unit, and released from Northwestern Memorial Hospital on November 24.
On December 22, Jackson was discharged home from an acute nursing facility in stable condition. He was confined to a wheelchair.
Jackson is survived by five children with his wife of more than 60 years, Jacqueline, and another daughter from an extramarital affair.
