A veteran civil rights leader, Jesse Jackson, has died at age 84, according to a statement by his family on Tuesday.
The statement reads, “Our father was a servant leader—not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world.
“His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you honour his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
Jackson was raised in the segregated Southern region of the United States (US), had been a civil rights leader since the 1960s and was also a close associate of the well-known civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr.
The Baptist minister advocated for the rights of Black Americans as well as other marginalized communities.
He founded the Chicago-based civil rights group Operation PUSH. He was also a well-known advocate for ending apartheid rule in South Africa and served as President Bill Clinton’s special envoy to Africa in the 1990s.
He was also vital in securing the release of several Americans held overseas in places such as Syria, Cuba, Iraq, and Serbia.
Although the cause of his death is still unknown, Jackson announced in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
