‘He’s my hero:’ Rep. Jonathan Jackson chokes up about dad Rev. Jesse Jackson as reaction pours in

Reaction poured in early Tuesday morning from national leaders and friends who learned of civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson’s passing overnight, with family members still coming to terms with the call they received just after 1 a.m.

“Some people know him as a civil rights leader,” Jesse’s son, U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson said in an emotional interview with NBC Chicago Tuesday morning. “He’s my hero,” Jonathan continued, as he choked up.

Jackson, 84, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017. In November of 2025, he was hospitalized for two weeks with the rare brain disease Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, which he was diagnosed with in April.

“He had an indomitable spirit,” Jonathan said. “I was on the edge of my seat for years not knowing when I’d get the final call.”

Jonathan added that calls and expressions of love Tuesday were coming in from across the country.

“You never know how big a tree is until it lies down,” he said. “He was born to serve.”

Early Tuesday morning, Rev. Al Sharpton released a statement on Jackson’s passing, calling Jackson his “mentor.”

“Today, I lost the man who first called me into purpose when I was just twelve years old,” Sharpton’s statement read in part. “And our nation lost one of its greatest moral voices. The Reverend Dr. Jesse Louis Jackson was not simply a civil rights leader; he was a movement unto himself. He carried history in his footsteps and hope in his voice. One of the greatest honors of my life was learning at his side. He reminded me that faith without action is just noise. He taught me that protest must have purpose, that faith must have feet, and that justice is not seasonal, it is daily work.”

“The greatest way to honor Reverend Jesse Jackson is not in memory alone, but in movement,” Sharpton’s statement said. “He taught us to keep marching. He taught us to keep organizing. He taught us that justice is never given, it is demanded.”

Longtime Illinois Congressman Danny K. Davis in a statement Tuesday acknowledged Jackson had been ill for “quite some time.”

“Nevertheless, we were hoping that he would continue to live, but the work, the spirit, what he has meant, not only to the city, the state, country and this world will continue to live on,” the statement said.

Born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1941, Jackson went on to gain national attention for his work in promoting civil rights, working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Originally a high school athlete, Jackson received a football scholarship to the University of Illinois, but returned home after only a year.

According to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson later transferred to North Carolina A&T State University and graduated in 1964. 

Chicago icon and nationally renowned civil rights leader Jesse Jackson died at age 84 Tuesday, his family confirmed, after a decade-long battle with Parkinson’s, and a year-long battle with related condition Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

In 1966, at the age of 25, Jackson returned to study at the Chicago Theological Seminary. He soon became a fixture on the religious and political scenes in the city, sometimes clashing with leaders like former Mayors Richard J. Daley and Jane Byrne and often working with local groups on education programs and anti-violence campaigns.

He continued to back a variety of political causes, pushing for universal health care, additional funding for civil rights law enforcement, and increasing business investment in underserved communities, according to his official biography.

In 1971, Jackson helped to found the international human and civil rights organization Rainbow PUSH Coalition, based on Chicago’s South Side. Prior to that, he was appointed by King to direct the Operation Breadbasket program.

Ultimately, Jackson would launch multiple bids for president, competing in the 1984 Democratic primaries and then winning 11 primaries in 1988 before ultimately losing out on the nomination to Michael Dukakis.

Jackson became known worldwide as a fierce advocate for Black students to excel in school, pushing educational programs and for reforms across the country. He also advocated for criminal justice reform, pushing for legislation cracking down on illegal drugs and seeking strategies to reduce Black-on-Black crime. He went on to receive dozens of honorary degrees and spoke to audiences around the world.

Jackson was also known to support Palestinian rights, and fought apartheid in South Africa, repeatedly pushing for the release of Nelson Mandela in the 1980s. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by former President Bill Clinton in 2000.

In November of 2017, Jackson announced he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but remained active in the fight for civil rights, pushing for strengthened voting rights legislation and fighting for criminal justice reform after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“Even if we win,” he told marchers in Minneapolis before the officer whose knee kept George Floyd from breathing was convicted of murder, “it’s relief, not victory. They’re still killing our people. Stop the violence, save the children. Keep hope alive.”

In 2024, he appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and at a City Council meeting to show support for a resolution backing a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Following his November 2025 hospitalization, he was moved to a nursing facility where he received 24-hour care, He lost his ability to speak, communicating with family and visitors by holding their hands and squeezing.

Jackson stepped down as head of Rainbow PUSH in 2023, and has remained largely private in recent years. He is survived by his wife Jacqueline and their six children.

Public observances will be held in Chicago, the organization’s statement said, with final arrangements and public events to be announced by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

The full statement on Jackson’s passing from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition can be found below:

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Civil Rights leader and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Honorable Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family. His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless—from his Presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilizing millions to register to vote—leaving an indelible mark on history.

Reverend Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline; their children — Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline; daughter Ashley Jackson, and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother, Helen Burns Jackson; father, Noah Louis Robinson; and stepfather, Charles Henry Jackson.

“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” said the Jackson family. “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.”