By Charles Maduka
United States civil rights leader and Baptist minister, Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84.
His family confirmed his passing in a statement on Tuesday, describing him as a servant leader who dedicated his life to justice, equality and love.
“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,” the statement read.
Jackson rose to national prominence during the civil rights movement of the 1960s under the mentorship of Martin Luther King Jr., becoming one of the most influential voices for Black Americans and other marginalised communities.
He twice sought the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, running in 1984 and 1988, mounting strong campaigns that attracted millions of votes but ultimately falling short of securing the ticket.
In 1984, he won about 18 per cent of votes cast in the Democratic primaries, finishing third. In 1988, he improved his performance, winning 11 state primaries and caucuses and securing nearly 29 per cent of the vote before losing the nomination.
Jackson founded the Chicago-based civil rights organisations Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition and later served as special envoy to Africa under former U.S. President Bill Clinton in the 1990s.
He was also instrumental in negotiating the release of Americans detained overseas in countries including Syria, Cuba, Iraq and Serbia.
Although his presidential ambitions were never realised, his political groundwork preceded the eventual election of fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama as U.S. president in 2008.
In 2017, Jackson announced he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after experiencing symptoms for several years.
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