Civil Rights Icon Rev. Jesse Jackson Dies at 84

The longtime Chicago resident and presidential candidate was a trailblazer for Black political power.

Feb. 20, 2026 at 1:07am

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The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights icon and longtime Chicago resident, died on Tuesday at the age of 84. Jackson was a pioneering figure in the civil rights movement, working closely with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and later launching two historic campaigns for the U.S. presidency. He was also a prominent figure in Chicago politics, founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and serving as a mentor to generations of Black leaders.

Why it matters

Jackson's life and work had a profound impact on the fight for racial justice and equality in America. As a young activist, he helped desegregate libraries in the South and later became a key lieutenant to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. His presidential campaigns in the 1980s and 1990s helped expand the Democratic Party's 'rainbow coalition' of diverse constituencies. In Chicago, Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition was a hub of Black political power for decades.

The details

Born in 1941 in segregated South Carolina, Jackson moved to Chicago as a teenager and was amazed by the ability to sit and eat at desegregated lunch counters. After graduating college, he began working for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and participated in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. Following King's assassination in 1968, Jackson broke away to found Operation PUSH, which became a center of Black political organizing in Chicago. Jackson ran for president in 1984 and 1988, earning 21% and 29% of the primary vote respectively and pushing the Democratic Party to change its delegate allocation rules. Over his decades-long career, Jackson advocated for human rights around the world and mentored scores of Black politicians and activists.

  • Jackson was born on October 8, 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina.
  • At age 15, Jackson visited his uncle in Chicago and was amazed by the desegregated lunch counters.
  • In 1959, Jackson received an athletic scholarship to the University of Illinois.
  • In 1965, Jackson joined the Selma to Montgomery marches with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
  • On April 4, 1968, Jackson was present when King was assassinated in Memphis.

The players

Rev. Jesse Jackson

A civil rights icon, two-time presidential candidate, and longtime Chicago resident who founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and mentored generations of Black leaders.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The renowned civil rights leader whom Jackson worked closely with as a young activist, until King's assassination in 1968.

Barack Obama

The former U.S. president who, as a young organizer, attended events at Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition and credited Jackson as a mentor.

Rainbow PUSH Coalition

The organization founded by Jackson in 1971 that served as a hub of Black political power in Chicago for decades.

Democratic Party

The political party that Jackson ran for president in during the 1980s and 1990s, pushing it to change its delegate allocation rules.

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What they’re saying

“We stood on his shoulders.”

— Barack and Michelle Obama

“Jackson helped lift up generations of young Black leaders.”

— Sun-Times Staff, Author

The takeaway

Rev. Jesse Jackson's life and work left an indelible mark on the fight for racial justice and equality in America. As a civil rights pioneer, presidential candidate, and mentor to countless Black leaders, Jackson's legacy will continue to inspire and shape the ongoing struggle for a more just and equitable society.