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(The Hill) – The distinguished civil rights icon, Rev. Jesse Jackson, passed away early Tuesday, as confirmed by his family. He had been contending with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a debilitating neurodegenerative disease.
Jackson was 84 years old at the time of his passing.
In their heartfelt statement, the Jackson family described him as a leader devoted not just to them, but to the marginalized, the unheard, and the neglected worldwide.
“We shared him with the world, and in turn, that world became an extension of our family,” the statement expressed.
“His steadfast commitment to justice, equality, and love inspired countless individuals. We urge you to honor his legacy by continuing the fight for the principles he championed.”
Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the civil rights and social justice organization Jackson founded, said in a statement last November that Jackson had been admitted to a hospital “under observation” for PSP, a rare disorder that he had been managing for over 10 years.
PSP impacts certain functions like balance, swallowing and walking, and there is no cure for the rare neurodegenerative disorder. Symptoms can only be managed.
Jackson is survived by his wife Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, and their five children Santita Jackson, former Rep. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.), Jonathan Luther Jackson, Yusef DuBois Jackson, Esq., and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson, Jr.
Jackson became a national icon within the civil rights movement, particularly during the 1960s, when he and seven others, who later became known as the “Greenville Eight” — tried to desegregate a public library in protest of racial segregation policies in the South.
Considered a “protégé” of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson helped spearhead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s (SCLC) Operation Breadbasket, a program that focused on economically improving the lives of Black communities, first in Chicago and later nationally.
Jackson was also with King when the civil rights leader was assassinated in 1968.
Jackson later created his own social justice group, which later became a merger of two groups — Rainbow PUSH Coalition — in the mid-1990s.
The civil rights leader was also known for his two presidential campaigns.
During the 1980s, Jackson ran twice for president, once in 1984, losing to former President Jimmy Carter in the Democratic primary, and once more in 1988, losing to Democrat Michael Dukakis in that primary.
Dukakis lost to former President George H.W. Bush that November.
Jackson later served as one of Washington, D.C.’s “shadow senators” between 1991 and 1997. In 2000, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.