The family released an emotional statement.

09:42, Tue, Feb 17, 2026 Updated: 09:52, Tue, Feb 17, 2026

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Jesse Jackson (Image: Getty)

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a two-time presidential candidate and civil rights icon, has died aged 84. On social media, his family says he died peacefully this morning, "surrounded by family".

In a statement, the family says: "Our father was a servant leader - not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world." The Jackson family continued: “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.”

Jackson was admitted to hospital for observation in November, and doctors said he'd been diagnosed with a degenerative condition called progressive supranuclear palsy. 

In 2017, he disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, having received outpatient treatment at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago for at least two years before going public with the news.

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Widely recognised for his activism and political impact, Jackson devoted his life to advancing civil rights for marginalised communities in the United States and around the world.

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