The world is in mourning today following the passing of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr., the legendary American civil rights leader and Baptist minister, who died peacefully at the age of 84. Surrounded by his family, Jackson’s death marks the end of an era for a man who spent over six decades as a “servant-leader” to the oppressed and a moral compass for the global African diaspora.
Jackson had been battling progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative condition, for over a decade. His family confirmed his transition in a moving statement: “Our father was a servant leader—not only to our family but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world.”
“He Inflicted the Cracks”: Tinubu Leads Nigerian Tributes
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu joined the global chorus of grief, describing Jackson as a “global symbol of justice, equality, and human dignity.” In a statement issued from the State House, Abuja, Tinubu reflected on the Reverend’s profound impact on both American democracy and the Nigerian struggle.
“If Barack Obama became the first Black American president, it was because Reverend Jackson and his fellow activists did not relent in their march for justice,” Tinubu stated. “When Obama broke the glass ceiling, it was Reverend Jackson who first inflicted the cracks on it in 1984 and 1988.”
The President also recalled his own student days in Chicago during the 1970s, where he witnessed Jackson’s activism firsthand, noting that Jackson remained a steadfast defender of Nigerian democracy during the country’s most turbulent years.
A Global Legacy: World Leaders React
From the streets of Chicago to the halls of the African Union, tributes have poured in for the man who popularized the term “African American.”
- The African Union: Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called Jackson a “towering figure” whose work resonated with Africa’s liberation movements. He lauded Jackson for his advocacy in recognizing the African diaspora as the continent’s “Sixth Region.”
- South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa credited Jackson as a “principled voice” during the anti-apartheid struggle, noting that his advocacy was instrumental in the global pressure that eventually freed Nelson Mandela.
- United States: President Joe Biden called him a “man of God and of the people,” while Kamala Harris described him as “one of America’s greatest patriots.” Even former President Donald Trump paid respects, calling Jackson a “good man” and a “friend” who truly loved the people.
- United Kingdom: MP Diane Abbott, a long-time associate, remembered him as a “direct connection to the great era of civil rights” and a mentor to Black activists globally.
The Man Who Kept Hope Alive
Born in segregated South Carolina in 1941, Jesse Jackson rose to prominence as a young aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Following King’s assassination in 1968, Jackson founded Operation PUSH (later the Rainbow PUSH Coalition), transforming grief into a powerful political and economic movement.
His two historic runs for the White House in the 1980s redefined the American political landscape, proving that a coalition of the “marginalized and the forgotten” could challenge the corridors of power.
As news of his passing spreads through the markets of Ikeja and the corporate offices of Victoria Island, Lagosians remember a man who viewed the Atlantic Ocean not as a divide, but as a bridge.
Reverend Jesse Jackson’s life was a testament to his most famous rallying cry: “Keep Hope Alive.”
