Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Leader and Two-Time Presidential Candidate, Dies at 84

According to a statement released by his family, Jackson died peacefully on Tuesday morning surrounded by loved ones.

A prominent figure in the American civil rights movement of the 1960s, Jackson was a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. and was present in Memphis in 1968 when King was assassinated. He later emerged as one of the most influential Black political voices in the United States.

Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity) and built what he called the “Rainbow Coalition,” a movement aimed at uniting minorities, poor and working-class Americans across racial and ethnic lines.

In 1984 and 1988, he made history with two strong bids for the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming the first African American to mount a nationally competitive campaign within a major US political party. His 1988 Democratic Convention speech, ending with the famous phrase “Keep hope alive,” became one of the most memorable moments in modern US political history.

Similarly, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party and presidential aspirant, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has mourned the death of American civil rights icon, Jesse Jackson, describing him as one of America’s finest moral exports and a global symbol of justice and democratic struggle.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hashim said Jackson’s death at 84 marks the end of a defining era in the global fight for equality, human dignity, and social justice. He noted that the late activist’s influence transcended the United States and inspired freedom movements worldwide.

He described Jackson as a moral voice shaped by the struggle for democracy and inclusion, adding that he carried forward the unfinished work of the Civil Rights Movement.

A close associate of Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson, he said, helped transform grief into organised resistance following King’s assassination.

Hashim also referenced Jackson’s historic presidential campaigns in the 1980s, describing them as groundbreaking efforts that expanded political possibilities for minorities in America and reshaped the country’s democratic landscape.

According to him, Jackson firmly believed in the power of the ballot, peaceful protest, and moral conviction, stressing that democracy must serve all citizens, not just the privileged.

Hashim added that Jackson’s legacy holds enduring lessons for Nigeria and Africa, particularly the need for leadership grounded in courage, compassion, and moral clarity.

He concluded by commiserating with the United States, describing Jackson as a towering voice for justice whose impact will continue to inspire generations.

Over the years, Jackson also played diplomatic roles, negotiating the release of American hostages abroad and remaining an influential voice within the Democratic Party.

In 2017, he disclosed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, later revised to progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative brain disorder.

Tributes have begun pouring in across the United States, with many describing him as a towering figure in the struggle for racial justice and political inclusion.