One of the leading civil rights activists in the United States has passed away.
The Reverend Jesse Jackson, who came to prominence in the 1960s and remained an outspoken advocate through to the 1990s, has passed away at the age of 84.
He also ran in presidential campaigns in the 1980s.
In a statement posted online, Jackson’s family calls him a “tireless change agent” who “elevated the voices of the voiceless” and left an “indelible mark on history.”
Jackson was a protege of Martin Luther King Jr.
after news of Jackson’s passing broke, King’s daughter Bernice shared a photo of two to social media with the caption “both now ancestors.”
She says her family shares a long history with Jackson, one which was “rooted for a shared commitment to justice and love.”
Both now ancestors… pic.twitter.com/ueLNefWI25
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) February 17, 2026
