{"id":223351,"date":"2026-02-17T13:28:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T13:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/17\/jesse-jackson-cause-of-death-famed-civil-rights-activist-was-84\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T13:28:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T13:28:29","slug":"jesse-jackson-cause-of-death-famed-civil-rights-activist-was-84","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/17\/jesse-jackson-cause-of-death-famed-civil-rights-activist-was-84\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesse Jackson Cause of Death: Famed Civil Rights Activist Was 84"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>One of the most famous American activists of the 20th century has passed away.<\/p>\n<p>The Reverend Jesse Jackson \u2014 who battled alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and continued the fight for decades after his assassination \u2014 has passed away.<\/p>\n<p>News of his death comes courtesy of a statement from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which he founded in 1971.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><\/noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1234058686-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Veteran American civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson looks after being awarded with the Legion of Honour by French President at the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 19, 2021. \" class=\"wp-image-548541 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1234058686-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1234058686-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1234058686-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1234058686-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1234058686-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1234058686-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1234058686-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1234058686-scaled.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Veteran American civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson looks after being awarded with the Legion of Honour by French President at the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 19, 2021. <span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN\/POOL\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt 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.,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DU2zhOBDtU5\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reads a statement <\/a>from the organization on Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jackson\u2019s six children also issued a statement, saying, in part:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur father was a servant leader \u2014 not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Reverend Jesse Jackson attends the Africa-America Institute's 2016 Annual Awards Gala at Cipriani 25 Broadway on September 20, 2016 in New York City.  \" class=\"wp-image-548542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-640x960.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-720x1080.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Reverend Jesse Jackson attends the Africa-America Institute's 2016 Annual Awards Gala at Cipriani 25 Broadway on September 20, 2016 in New York City.  \" class=\"wp-image-548542 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-640x960.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-720x1080.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-609375828-scaled.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Reverend Jesse Jackson attends the Africa-America Institute\u2019s 2016 Annual Awards Gala at Cipriani 25 Broadway on September 20, 2016 in New York City.  <span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Photo by Bennett Raglin\/Getty Images for Africa-America Institute)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cHis longevity is part of the story,\u201d added Rashad Robinson, the former president of the justice organization Color of Change. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is someone who had so many chances to do something else. And this is what chose to do with his life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Born in Greenville, South Carolina in 1941, Jackson was first arrested at the age of 18 for protesting segregation at his town\u2019s local library.<\/p>\n<p>He would be arrested many more times in the decades that followed, including twice in 2021 over his objection to the Senate filibuster rule.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Rev. Jesse Jackson attends the Clive Davis 90th Birthday Celebration at Casa Cipriani on April 06, 2022 in New York City. \" class=\"wp-image-548540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-1080x721.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572.jpg 1385w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Rev. Jesse Jackson attends the Clive Davis 90th Birthday Celebration at Casa Cipriani on April 06, 2022 in New York City. \" class=\"wp-image-548540 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-1080x721.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572-1200x801.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572.jpg 1385w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-1389988572.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rev. Jesse Jackson attends the Clive Davis 90th Birthday Celebration at Casa Cipriani on April 06, 2022 in New York City. <span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Photo by Jamie McCarthy\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In between, he ran for US president twice, served as a Baptist minister, advised world leaders, and became synonymous with the global battle for equality.<\/p>\n<p>Jackson\u2019s death comes at a time when so many of the rights that he fought for are under attack and the advancements he secured seem in danger of being eradicated.<\/p>\n<p>Across social media, news of Jackson\u2019s death made him an instant worldwide trending topic, along with phrases like \u201ckeep hope alive\u201d and \u201cThe Rev.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRIP Jesse Jackson. Few have your courage. Even fewer have your fight for decency,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hopeoverfear01\/status\/2023693258149556476\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote one user<\/a> on X (formerly Twitter).<\/p>\n<p>No official cause of death has been given, but Jackson had been battling numerous serious health issues since 2021, when he and his wife were both hospitalized after contracting Covid-19.<\/p>\n<p>Our thoughts are with Jesse Jackson\u2019s loved ones today as they mourn his loss and honor his legacy.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/02\/jesse-jackson-cause-of-death-famed-civil-rights-activist-was-84\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading Time: 3 minutes One of the most famous American activists of the 20th century has passed away. The Reverend Jesse Jackson \u2014 who battled alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and continued the fight for decades after his assassination \u2014 has passed away. News of his death comes courtesy of a statement from the Rainbow [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":223352,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-223351","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hollywood"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223351"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223351\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}