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The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, one of the most prominent figures in the civil rights movement in the United States and a two-time presidential candidate, has died at the age of 84. The news was announced by his son and confirmed in a statement by his non-profit social justice organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
According to the statement, Jackson died Tuesday morning surrounded by his family. He had been hospitalized in recent months and was being monitored for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative disease with symptoms similar to Parkinson's.
"His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity," the Rainbow PUSH Coalition said in a statement.
Born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, during the period of racial segregation in the American South, Jackson grew up in difficult social conditions. He was the son of Helen Burns, then 16 years old, and was adopted by Charles Jackson, his mother's later husband.
Biographers have described his childhood as marked by feelings of isolation and prejudice, due to his race and the circumstances of his birth. However, from an early age he displayed outstanding communication and oratory skills that would later make him one of the most powerful voices in American politics and activism.
In the 1960s, Jackson became nationally known as a close associate of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. After King's assassination in 1968, he emerged as one of the most prominent figures of the new generation of civil rights leaders.
Jackson ran for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988. His campaigns are considered pivotal moments in American politics, as they mobilized millions of voters, particularly from African-American communities and other minority groups.
He founded the Rainbow Coalition, a broad alliance that included African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, progressive whites, and LGBTQ people. This platform contributed to shifting the focus of the Democratic Party toward a more diverse electorate.
Jackson was among the first presidential candidates to openly include support for gay rights in his platform. He also supported changing the system of allocating delegates in the Democratic primaries from a winner-take-all model to a proportional system, a reform that various analysts have cited as having an impact on subsequent contests within the party.
One of his most famous slogans was "Keep Hope Alive," which became a symbol of his campaigns and political message.
Jackson's career was not without controversy. He has been accused at various times of exaggerating his role in historical events and making inappropriate statements. His personal life has also been the focus of attention, including the admission of a daughter born out of wedlock from an extramarital affair.
However, he remained an active figure in unofficial diplomacy. In 1984, he brokered the release of 48 prisoners in Cuba and an American pilot held in Syria. In 1999, he contributed to the release of three American soldiers held in Yugoslavia. In 2000, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.
In 2017, Jackson announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease; his family later clarified that he was suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy. He and his wife, Jacqueline, were hospitalized in 2021 after testing positive for COVID-19.
Even in recent years, Jackson remained active on issues of voting rights and criminal justice reform. In 2023, he announced his resignation as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, more than five decades after the organization's founding.
His legacy was also highlighted during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where he was publicly honored. He is seen as a bridge between the classic civil rights movement of the 1960s and younger generations of activists.
Jesse Jackson is survived by his wife Jacqueline and six children: Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline and Ashley.
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