The Reverend Jesse Jackson, a longtime civil rights leader, died on Tuesday at the age of 84.[1][2] Born on October 8, 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina, he was a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr.[1][2] He was present at the assassination of King in Memphis in April 1968 and later founded Operation PUSH.[1] He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017, but in April 2025 with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disease affecting movement, balance, vision, speech and swallowing.[1] He was hospitalized for PSP in November 2025 and overcame COVID-19 in 2021.[1] Despite his illness, he participated in protests against police brutality.[1] He is survived by his wife Jacqueline and six children; the family announced public memorials in Chicago.[1]