{"id":65806,"date":"2026-02-17T15:55:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T20:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackhealthmatters.com\/?p=65806"},"modified":"2026-02-17T15:55:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T20:55:52","slug":"reverend-jesse-jackson-a-civil-rights-legend-has-passed-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackhealthmatters.com\/reverend-jesse-jackson-a-civil-rights-legend-has-passed-away\/","title":{"rendered":"Reverend Jesse Jackson, a Civil Rights Legend, Has Passed Away"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and ran twice for the Democratic nomination for the United States presidency, died on February 17, 2026. The 84-year-old passed away at home surrounded by loved ones. A cause of death has not been disclosed. However, Reverend Jackson believed he had Parkinson’s disease; he had been misdiagnosed. He later learned he had progressive supranuclear palsy,<\/a> a rare brain disease that affects walking, balance, eye movements, and swallowing.<\/p>\n

His family confirmed via an announcement, which read in part:<\/p>\n

“Our father was a servant leader\u2014not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” said the Jackson family. We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became a 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.”<\/em><\/p>\n

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A post shared by Rainbow PUSH Coalition (@rainbowpush)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n