BREAKING: Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon and two-time presidential candidate, dies at 84. https://t.co/LRPCGKQEWp
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 17, 2026
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, an American civil rights leader, minister, and politician, who was a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr. and in the 1980s reshaped Democratic politics with two galvanizing presidential campaigns, died Tuesday at the age of 84.
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said in a statement. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family.”
According to the Jackson family, public commemorations will take place in Chicago.
BREAKING: Civil rights icon and two-time presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson passed away on Tuesday morning at age 84, his family said in a statement.
— ABC News (@ABC) February 17, 2026
ABC News’ Pierre Thomas has more on his life and legacy.
Read more: https://t.co/l9G2QOF0SB pic.twitter.com/fWeyw1sqG1