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US civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate Reverend Jesse Jackson has died aged 84.
The news was confirmed by his family, who said that he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones.
“His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity,” the Jackson family said. “A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless from his Presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilising millions to register to vote – leaving an indelible mark on history.”
“Our father was a servant leader – not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world. We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family.”
The statement added: “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.”
A cause of death was not immediately given, but Jackson was hospitalized in November for treatment to regulate his blood pressure, having been under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) – “a rare neurological disorder that affects body movements, walking and balance, and eye movements,” according to the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
He announced he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017.
Born on 8 October 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson rose to prominence in the 1960s as a leader in Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was present with King when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.
He launched two social justice and activism organisations: Operation PUSH in 1971, and the National Rainbow Coalition years later.
Reverend Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, their children – Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline, daughter Ashley Jackson, and grandchildren.
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