Celebrity
Rev. Jesse Jackson, Baptist Minister and Civil Rights Activist of worldwide fame, Dies at 84
Civil Rights Icon, Rev. Jesse Jackson Passes Away at 84
One of the prominent leaders in the civil rights movement, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom laureate has died at 84. The family of the Baptist minister made the announcement on social media that he went to rest “peacefully” on Tuesday, February 17, after being with his family and loved ones all the time.
Our dad was a servant leader not only for our family but also for the oppressed, the voiceless, and the forgotten people all over the world. We gave him to the world, and the world, in turn, became our extended family. His strong faith in justice, equality, and love inspired countless people, and we call upon you to pay homage to his memory by keeping alive the struggle for the values to which he devoted his life. The news of Rev. Jesse Jackson death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from leaders across the globe, recognizing his monumental contributions to civil rights and social justice. We, the Jackson family, thus wrote.
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Health Was Worsening and He Was Battling Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Ahead of the death of Rev. Jesse Jackson several months, he was struggling with his health issues. On November 12, his civil rights organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, revealed that Jackson had been in the hospital and was being watched for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
The Mayo Clinic explains that PSP is a disease of the brain which results in problems with balance, swallowing, walking, and eye movements; it is caused by the loss of brain cells.
Immediately after the news, Jackson’s family came out with the statement that he was doing well and that the rumors of him being on life support were false. “He is in a stable condition and is able to breathe without the aid of machines,” they reported.
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Legacy and Upcoming Celebration of Life
The family of Rev. Jesse Jackson has publicly acknowledged his death and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition has been entrusted with the task of organizing a memorial event to which details will be disclosed shortly.
A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson came into the world on October 8, 1941, and was a significant contributor to the history of America. He was one of the civil rights leaders who closely worked with King and he was actually at the motel with King the morning the legendary leader was shot to death on April 4, 1968.
Jackson mused that day to The Guardian in 2018, “It is like pulling a scab off a sore each time I think of it. To say that a man of love is killed by hate is a terribly painful image; that a man of peace is killed by violence; a man who has love is killed by cruelty.”
Besides that, Jackson challenged for the U.S. presidency in 1984 and 1988 and by personally engaging with President Slobodan Milosevic he helped to free three U.S. soldiers who were held in Yugoslavia in 1999.
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Honors, Athletic Talents, and Family Life
It was probably one of the most memorable awards that Rev. Jesse Jackson received when it was presented to him by President Bill Clinton in 2000. The award, which is the Presidential Medal of Freedom, is the highest civilian honor in the United States and the president, referring to Jackson, said that the award was for his “keen intellect and loving heart.”
Before he became a person who fought for the rights of the civil society, Jackson was a professional athlete. As a high school graduate, he was a very good athlete to the extent that he was given an offer to play baseball for the Chicago White Sox and a football scholarship to the University of Illinois, as reported by CNN.
Death has come to Jackson’s family, wife Jacqueline, with whom he has been married since 1962, their five children, and grandchildren. Additionally, he had a daughter born of a past relationship with a former staffer in May 1999.
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Health Challenges During His Last Years
One of the major challenges Rev. Jesse Jackson had to face during his last few years was his deteriorating health. A few months before his death, the civil rights leader hit the news again when in November 2021 he was taken to hospital following a fall that he suffered while attending a program at the Blackburn Center on Howard University’s campus. This was not the only time he required medical attention as he was also diagnosed with COVID-19 two months prior to his mishap when both he and his wife had to be hospitalized due to the virus.
Additionally, in 2017 Jackson was found to be suffering from Parkinson’s disease. This is a progressive neurological disorder that chiefly involves symptoms such as tremors, muscle rigidity, and problems with balance, walking, and coordination according to the National Institute on Aging.
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Updated Diagnosis: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Rev. Jesse Jackson was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but it was clarified in a statement last month that the minister actually suffers from the progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a disease whose symptoms closely mimic those of Parkinson’s. The media outlet CNN broke the news of the diagnosis.
According to Mayo Clinic, the only risk factor that has been confirmed by the research is age. The study of PSP shows that it is a disorder of older people generally affecting those in their late 60s and 70s.
