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On Feb. 17, the legendary Rev. Jesse Jackson died “peacefully” at 84, surrounded by family, according to a statement shared on the civil rights leader’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition website. His passing marks the end of an era for one of the most enduring figures in the fight for social justice.
In their statement, his family reflected on a life defined by service, noting that his unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. From his historic presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilizing millions of new voters, Jackson’s work as a tireless advocate for change left a powerful imprint on American political and cultural life.
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said in a statement. “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.”
For more than six decades, Rev. Jesse Jackson has been one of the most visible civil rights leaders in America, but one part of his legacy is too often overlooked: his consistent advocacy for Black women. From politics to labor rights to media representation, Jackson has repeatedly used his platform to uplift and defend Black women who were ignored, minimized, or under attack.
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Here are 10 powerful moments that reveal the depth of his commitment and the impact of his support for Black women far and wide.
He stood with Coretta Scott King after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Assassination.
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Jesse Jackson carried the devastating responsibility of informing Coretta Scott King that her husband had been shot. As reported by The Guardian, Jackson, King, and several civil rights leaders were staying at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis in 1968 while supporting striking Black sanitation workers seeking safer conditions and fair wages after two colleagues were crushed in a garbage truck. Around 6 p.m., the group was preparing to leave for dinner.
King was standing on the balcony outside Room 306. Jackson, who was in the parking lot eight feet below, later recalled their final exchange, “He said, ‘You’re late for dinner … You don’t even have on a shirt and tie.’ I said, ‘Doc, the prerequisite for eating is appetite, not a tie.’ He laughed and said, ‘You’re crazy.’ We joked around that way.”
Moments later, a bullet struck King.
“It was so instant,” Jackson said. “I think Dr. King was gone at that point.”
Jackson, who had joined Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1965, walked back to his room and phoned Coretta. He told her that King had been shot in the shoulder.
“I couldn’t really say what I had seen,” Jackson explained. He described Coretta’s strength, saying, “She had a certain resolve… She knew the price you paid for trying to make America better… She’d made peace with it over a 13-year period.”
In the aftermath, Jackson said he was determined to “not let one bullet kill the movement,” that Dr. King built, according to the Providence Journal. He added, “Many people who resented him as a marcher raised him up as a martyr… They rejected him in flesh and blood, but now resurrect him in monument and stone.”
While others attempted to sideline Coretta politically, Jesse Jackson publicly reinforced her leadership and activism. His support helped solidify her standing as a central force in the movement. Jackson continued carrying SCLC’s legacy until he left in 1971 to found PUSH, while Coretta continued leading the King Center; they often marched together to preserve Dr. King’s legacy.
Here are nine other times Jesse Jackson stood up, advocated, and supported Black women.
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