Jesse Jackson, a longtime US civil rights leader passed away on Tuesday, February 17 at the age of 84.
The news of his passing was announced by his family in a statement, noting, "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Civil Rights leader and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Honorable Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family."
The statement added, "His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shake a global movement for freedom and dignity."
What is the cause of Jesse Jackson's death?
However, the exact cause of Jackson's death has not been officially confirmed but he had been hospitalized in November and was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a worsening brain disorder.
Earlier, in 2017, he had also revealed that he was living with Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological disorder that gradually affects brain and impairs movement and muscle control.
Jackson was a prominent civil rights campaigner who ran twice for the Democratic Party's nomination for president in 1984 and 1988.
He became widely known and influential during 1960s by serving as a leader within Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, their children - Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline; daughter Ashley Jackson and grandchildren.
