Jesse Jackson, historic US civil activist and two-time presidential candidate, dies at 84

Jesse Jackson, historic civil rights activist in the United States and candidate for the presidential nomination for the Democratic Party in 1984 and 1988, has died at the age of 84, as confirmed by his family.

The Baptist reverend, one of the black leaders with the greatest presence in American politics in the second half of the 20th century, died this Tuesday surrounded by his family, according to a statement.

“His unwavering commitment to justice, equality and human rights helped forge a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless agent of change, he raised the voice of those who did not have one, from his presidential campaigns in the 1980s to the mobilization of millions of people to register as voters, leaving an indelible mark on history,” the text highlights.

Jackson had been hospitalized in November to receive treatment for a rare and particularly serious neurodegenerative disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), according to his organization, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a leader in progressive activism. In November 2017 he had announced that he suffered from Parkinson’s.

The activist was a kind of bridge between Martin Luther King and Barack Obama, taking up the former’s baton after his assassination in 1968 and running twice to reach the White House long before the latter, who would achieve it in 2008.

As a forceful speaker and national figure, Jackson helped keep issues such as ending segregation, voting rights, equal opportunity, and economic justice for blacks and other marginalized groups on the political agenda.

One of its main projects was the so-called “Rainbow Coalition”, which sought to unite different movements (workers, racial minorities, women, youth, pacifists) around a common progressive program.

Although Jackson never managed to be the Democratic presidential candidate – in 1984 he came third in the primaries and in 1988 only Michael Dukakis surpassed him – his role was key in breaking barriers within the party, which was forced to incorporate the demands of the African-American population.

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