Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader and presidential candidate, dies at 84

The founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition died peacefully in his home on February 17.

By Drew Gillis  |  February 17, 2026 | 2:57pm
Image via Wikimedia Commons
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Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader and presidential candidate, dies at 84

Jesse Jackson, the longtime civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate, has died. “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.,” wrote his family in a statement shared this morning. “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.”

In the 1960s, Jackson began working with Martin Luther King, Jr., quickly rising to a leadership position in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and eventually became the national director of Operation Breadbasket, the SCLC’s economic arm. In the 1970s, Jackson founded Operation PUSH (later joined with the Rainbow Coalition), which focused on social justice and uplifting Black populations and other underserved populations. Jackson ran for president in 1984 and 1988, coming in second place for the Democratic nomination the second time. Jackson later hosted the CNN show Both Sides With Jesse Jackson from 1992 until 2000, and became the first Shadow Senator for Washington, D.C. in 1991. 

Born in Greenville, South Carolina in 1941, Jackson won a football scholarship to the University of Illinois and ended up finishing his degree in North Carolina, where he would meet his wife Jacqueline Brown. As a student, he became involved in the Civil Rights Movement and eventually became a protegé of Martin Luther King, Jr. and participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches. Jackson was a key figure in the Poor People’s Campaign, which was carried out after King’s assassination in 1968. “Most poor people were not Black, but white, female and young. Whether white, brown or Black, hunger hurts,” Jackson reflected on planning the campaign in a 2018 interview with History. “Trying to build a massive tent, a massive poor-people’s campaign across lines of race, religion and gender was also part of our task.” This work led him to what would eventually be called the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. 

Originally founded as the PUSH (People United to Save/Serve Humanity) Campaign, Jackson’s work with the group pushed past the economic-oriented platform to include more straightforwardly political messaging. In 1972, Jackson brought his message to Sesame Street in a memorable episode that saw him share his message of respect and empowerment that is the poem “I Am – Somebody.” 

In 1984, Jackson became the first Black man to run for president, against incumbent Ronald Reagan. He finished third in the Democratic primary with about three million votes. He ran for a second and final time in 1988, finishing second in the Democratic primary. He remained active in Democratic politics for many years beyond that, supporting Barack Obama early in the 2008 election and endorsed Bernie Sanders during the 2020 Democratic primary. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal Of Freedom. 

 
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