Jesse Jackson Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment The Reverend Jesse Jackson, a widely respected U.S. civil rights leader, has died at the age 84. His family said in a statement that Jackson "died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family." He rose to prominence in the 1960s as a leader in Martin Luther King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Jackson was actually present when King was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., in 1968. Jackson later launched two social justice and activism organisations. In 1971, he founded Operation PUSH, followed in 1984 by the National Rainbow Coalition, which merged with PUSH in 1996. Related Stories Movies Michel Blanc, French Actor in 'Les Bronzés' and 'Monsieur Hire,' Dies at 72 Movies Bryan Cranston, Cillian Murphy, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Hudson Among BAFTA Film Awards A-List Presenters While known for his civil rights activism, Jackson also ran for president in 1984, becoming the second African American to do so after Shirley Chisholm. He was a candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination that year and again in 1988, but didn't win the nomination. In 2017, at Cannes Lions, Jackson called out Hollywood and Silicon Valley for their lack of diversity and pushed the audience - made up mostly of advertisers and marketers - to use their media reach to promote positive messages for women, people of color and the LGBTQ community. In 2017, Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He was hospitalized in November after being diagnosed with a degenerative condition. "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.," the Jackson family statement said. "He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family. His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless from his Presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilising millions to register to vote - leaving an indelible mark on history." It continued: "Reverend Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline; their children - Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline; daughter Ashley Jackson, and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother, Helen Burns Jackson; father, Noah Louis Robinson; and stepfather, Charles Henry Jackson." Concluded the family statement: "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. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honour his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.' Public observances will be held in Chicago. Final arrangements for Reverend Jackson's celebration of life services, including all public events, will be released by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition." THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Shia LaBeouf Shia LaBeouf's Mardi Gras Bar Crawl: "He's Terrorizing the City" Today Arizona Sheriff Clarifies Guthrie Family Members, Including Spouses, Have Been Cleared as Suspects in Nancy Guthrie Disappearance No Other Land 'No Other Land' Co-Director Hamdan Ballal Says Brother Hospitalized, Family Members Arrested After Attack Jeffrey Epstein Epstein Survivor Accuses 'Grand Theft Auto V' Producer of Sexual Assault Travel Morocco Is Ready to Tell Its Own Stories Savannah Guthrie Savannah Guthrie Posts New Message About Mom Nancy's Disappearance: "We Still Have Hope" Shia LaBeouf Shia LaBeouf's Mardi Gras Bar Crawl: "He's Terrorizing the City" Today Arizona Sheriff Clarifies Guthrie Family Members, Including Spouses, Have Been Cleared as Suspects in Nancy Guthrie Disappearance No Other Land 'No Other Land' Co-Director Hamdan Ballal Says Brother Hospitalized, Family Members Arrested After Attack Jeffrey Epstein Epstein Survivor Accuses 'Grand Theft Auto V' Producer of Sexual Assault Travel Morocco Is Ready to Tell Its Own Stories Savannah Guthrie Savannah Guthrie Posts New Message About Mom Nancy's Disappearance: "We Still Have Hope"