Rev. Jesse Jackson has died at age 84.

The civil rights activist and Baptist minister died surrounded by loved ones on Tuesday, February 17, his family said in a statement. No cause of death was given.

“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” Jackson’s family said in a statement to NBC News. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”

In November 2025, Jackson was hospitalized in Chicago for symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a social change nonprofit organization founded by Jackson in 1971.

“The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. was admitted to the hospital today and is currently under observation for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP),” Rainbow PUSH said in a statement at the time.

“He has been managing this neurodegenerative condition for more than a decade. He was originally diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; however, last April, his PSP condition was confirmed. The family appreciates all prayers at this time,” the statement continued.

According to the Mayo Clinic, progressive supranuclear palsy “is a rare brain disease that affects walking, balance, eye movements and swallowing. The disease results from the damage of cells in areas of the brain that control body movement, coordination, thinking and other important functions.”

Symptoms of the disease worsen over time and can lead to complications, including pneumonia and trouble swallowing, per the academic medical center. There’s no cure for progressive supranuclear palsy, which means treatment is usually focused on managing symptoms of the disease.

Jackson first announced he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017, however, he was diagnosed with PSP in 2025.

Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, 81, and their five children: Santita, 62, Jesse Jr., 60, Jonathan, 60, Yusef, 55, and Jacqueline, 50. (Jackson also has a daughter born out of an extramarital affair.)

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