Jesse Jackson Dead At 84
Civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84.
His death was announced Tuesday by his family. “Our father was a serving leader – not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless and the disenfranchised around the world,” their statement read, according to NBC News.
“We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values by which he lived.”
Jackson’s family said he died surrounded by his loved ones.
Jackson’s cause of death has not been released.
Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton paid tribute to Jackson, saying, “Our nation has lost one of its greatest moral voices,” he said.
He then paid tribute to the Baptist pastor, saying he was a man who “carried history in his footsteps and hope in his voice.”
Jackson revealed his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2017. He was hospitalized in November and had suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) for more than a decade before his death.
“Rev. Jackson stood wherever dignity was under attack, from apartheid abroad to injustice at home. His voice echoed in boardrooms and prison cells. His presence changed rooms. His faith never wavered,” Sharpton said, according to NBC News.
