Civil rights pioneer and two-time presidential candidate Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84. His family confirmed on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, that the influential leader passed away after a long battle with Parkinson's disease diagnosed in 2017.

• Jackson, a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr., was a charismatic Baptist minister and an inspirational orator who championed civil rights for decades.
• He sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, making history as the first viable Black candidate for a major party White House nomination.
• Despite not holding elective office, Jackson founded significant civil rights organizations like Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition, and was instrumental in diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Americans held overseas.