Jesse Jackson, icon of the civil rights movement in the United States, dies at 84
A collaborator of Martin Luther King, he was one of the most prominent members of the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
Jesse Jackson, a historic leader and icon of the civil rights movement in the United States, has died at the age of 84. Jackson, a collaborator of Martin Luther KingHe was one of the leading members of the movement, and he founded the organization Rainbow PUSH CoalitionOn two occasions, in 1984 and 1988, he ran as a presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, making him one of the first African Americans with a chance of being nominated by a national party in the US. Jackson, a Baptist minister, grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, a southern state during the height of racial segregation. His death was announced by his family on Tuesday: "Our father was a leader and a servant, not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the forgotten throughout the world," they said in a statement. "We shared him with the world, and the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering faith in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask that you honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he championed."
Jackson, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, was hospitalized in November after more than a decade of paralysis that affected his ability to walk and swallow. The activist participated in the legendary Selma march For the rights of the black population, he faced the wrath of the segregationists and accompanied Martin Luther King in the final moments.
