by Alex Lloyd Gross
Jesse Jackson died early today from progressive supernuclear palsy. He had been hospitalized from that disease since November 2025. He was 84 years old. Jackson was a prime figure in being a vocal proponent for civil rights. He wold travel the country , standing up for Black people that he felt were wronged by the system.
He formed his Rainbow Coalition. He also ran for President Of the United States, twice. He was a long shot but in 1984 he managed to win the primary in five states. He secured 80 percent of the black vote but lost the Democratic nomination to Walter Mondale. When he spoke with a reporter and he referred New York City as “Hymie Town”, a disparaging term for Jews, and spoke negatively of Israel, The chances of him sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office were forever squashed.
During his campaign, he spoke to students at Community College of Philadelphia in their auditorium, which was packed with young, prospective voters. He would tour low income neighborhoods where he knew Mondale and Ronald Reagan would not go.
In 1988 Jackson won 13 state primaries , particularly in the south. Locally, he debated with Massachusetts Governor Micheal Dukakis and spoke briefly with media members in a local hotel.
When Barack Obama won the presidency , Jackson was in the front row of his acceptance speech crying. The Obama’s released a statement that read in part: “For more than 60 years, Reverend Jackson helped lead some of the most significant movements for change in human history. From organizing boycotts and sit-ins, to registering millions of voters, to advocating for freedom and democracy around the world, he was relentless in his belief that we are all children of God, deserving of dignity and respect,” the statement said.
Alex Lloyd Gross File Photo Delaware Valley News.com Jesse Jackson speaks at Community College of Philadelphia in 1984
Similar support is pouring in from around the nation for Jackson and his family. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.