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US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson dies aged 84.
Summary
Jesse Jackson, a US civil rights leader and two-time Democratic presidential candidate, has died aged 84. His family said he had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy and is survived by his wife Jacqueline and their children.
Content
Jesse Jackson has died aged 84, his family announced. He was a prominent US civil rights leader who twice sought the Democratic presidential nomination. Jackson founded the Rainbow PUSH coalition and rose to prominence in the 1960s working with Martin Luther King Jr. He had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy in April 2025 and was admitted to hospital last November.
Key facts:
- Jackson died aged 84, as announced by his family.
- He is survived by his wife Jacqueline and their children: Santita, Jesse Jr, Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline and Ashley.
- Doctors revised an earlier Parkinson's diagnosis and said Jackson had progressive supranuclear palsy, diagnosed in April 2025.
- Jackson ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.
- He founded the Rainbow PUSH coalition and was active with Martin Luther King Jr in the 1960s, and was with King in Memphis in 1968.
Summary:
Jackson's death has prompted tributes from leaders and public figures, including former president Barack Obama, who noted Jackson's influence on later campaigns. His family highlighted his long commitment to justice and human rights. Details about memorials or services are undetermined at this time.
