Global Tributes Pour in as Civil Rights Champion Reverend Jesse Jackson Passes Away

CHICAGO — The city of Chicago and people worldwide are mourning the loss of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Rev. Jackson passed away on Tuesday morning in Chicago, surrounded by his loved ones.

Among those honoring Rev. Jackson’s legacy is Reverend Al Sharpton.

“My mentor, Rev. Jesse Jackson, has died,” Sharpton said. “I just prayed with his family over the phone. He was a significant and transformative leader who influenced the nation and the world. He shaped public policies and changed laws. He kept the dream alive and taught children from broken homes, like me, that our spirits are not broken,” Sharpton expressed. “He made us believe we were somebody. I will always cherish the times he mentored me, and I will continue to strive to keep hope alive.”

Rev. Jackson was a close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King’s daughter, Bernice King, honored Jackson with a photo of him alongside her father, captioning it, “Both now ancestors.”

Congressman Danny David said in a statement in part, “Reverend Jackson was one of the greatest moral voices of our time. He dedicated his life to fighting for those who had been left out and left behind. He gave voice to the poor, the oppressed, the forgotten, and the marginalized. He helped our nation live closer to its promise of justice and equality for all.”

Jerry Thomas a former spokesperson for Rev. Jackson, said he should be remembered as someone who sacrificed tremendously to advocate for people in need of all colors.

I remember going into Appalachia and he was fighting for the rights of people whose family had died of black lung disease. These were Caucasians who lived in the hills of Ohio, Reverend Jackson was someone who was tirelessly working for people.”

Del Marie Cobb, a former press secretary for Rev. Jackson, said he knew everything that was going on in the world and always had opinions on how to make things better.

“He was able to step in and return hostage when nobody else could. Here’s an ordinary person that is not part of the government but was able to reach out to other countries and collaborate with them to bring endings back that were beneficial to the United States when people in the government weren’t able to do that. So that was his life. That was not something he had to work at.”