Jesse Jackson dies at 84: What was the cause of death of the civil rights leader?
The two-time presidential candidate, Baptist minister, and longtime civil rights activist has passed away at the age of 84.
The family of Reverend Jesse Jackson informed on Tuesday that the two-time presidential candidate, Baptist minister, and civil rights icon has passed away. “Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” read a statement.
The family did not say what was the cause of death, only that at the time of his peaceful passing he was surrounded by his family. He had been admitted to hospital in November after a long struggle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare progressive neuromuscular disease similar to Parkinson’s disease.
He first announced that he was being treated for Parkinson’s in 2017, but that diagnosis was changed to PSP in April last year.
When will Jesse Jackson’s funeral be held
His family said in their statement on the reverend’s passing that public observances will be held in Chicago. The South Carolina native moved to Chicago in the 1960s where he attended seminary and later worked for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, becoming a pivotal figure in the city’s civil rights movement.
As for the final arrangements for celebration of life and other public events for Reverend Jackson, those will be posted by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition which he founded as well as on the Jesse Jackson Legacy website.
“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,” the family added.
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