By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@ReutersPhoto.
The Reverend Jesse Jackson, the civil rights icon who twice ran for president of the United States (US), died early Tuesday morning, He was 84.
Jackson died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family, they said in a statement.
He was hospitalized for observation in November, and doctors said he’d been diagnosed with a degenerative condition called progressive supranuclear palsy.
Long known for his activism and political influence, Jackson spent his life dedicated to pursuing civil rights for disenfranchised groups both in the United States and abroad.
Jackson’s “unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless … leaving an indelible mark on history,” his family said.
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the family said. “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 he lived by.”
As a young man, he became a member of King’s circle and was with King when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.
Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on Oct. 8, 1941. His mother, Helen Burns Struggs, was 16 and unmarried and gave him the name Jesse Burns. In his teenage years, his mother married Charles Jackson, and Jackson took his new stepfather’s surname.
Jackson is survived by five children with his wife of more than 60 years, Jacqueline, another daughter, and countless figures who were inspired by his leadership.
Tributes
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to veteran US civil rights activist Reverend Jackson.
“On behalf of all South Africans, President Ramaphosa extends his condolences to the Jackson family, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and the many organisations within the American Civil Rights Movement and in causes elsewhere in the world who were inspired by the Rev Jesse Jackson’s principles and leadership, said Ramaphosa.”
In 2013, he was awarded South Africa’s National Order of the Companions of OR Tambo in Silver for his contribution to the fight against apartheid.
Diane Abbott, the first black woman to become an MP in the UK, shared a tribute to Jackson.
In a post on X, alongside an image of her standing with Jackson, she described him as a “very smart, warm and hugely charismatic” figure.
“A direct connection to the great era of civil rights. RIP.”
The daughter of Martin Luther King Jr has paid tribute to Jesse Jackson, sharing an image of her father and the late activist.
Bernice King accompanies the image with the caption: “Both now ancestors…”
Jackson had influence abroad, meeting world leaders and scoring diplomatic victories, including the release of Navy Lt. Robert Goodman from Syria in 1984, as well as the 1990 release of more than 700 foreign women and children held after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. In 1999, he won the freedom of three Americans imprisoned by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor.