Global tributes to civil rights “giant” Jesse Jackson | BBC News

Tributes have poured in from around the world for Jesse Jackson, the US civil rights leader who has died aged 84.

Jackson’s family said 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 mobilising millions to register to vote – leaving an indelible mark on history.”

Jackson rose to prominence as a civil rights leader alongside Martin Luther King in the 1960s. He ran for president in 1984 and 1988 and was the founder of a nonprofit organisation focused on social justice and civil rights, the Rainbow PUSH coalition.

Barack Obama described Jackson as a "true giant" and said in a statement that Jackson’s "two historic runs for president" had "laid the foundation for my own campaign to the highest office of the land". Obama added that his wife Michelle "got her first glimpse of political organising at the Jacksons’ kitchen table when she was a teenager".

"For more than 60 years, Reverend Jackson helped lead some of the most significant movements for change in human history," the Obamas said in the statement. "From organising 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."

Born in 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson became involved in politics at an early age. He rose to prominence in the 1960s as a leader in Martin Luther King, Jr ‘s Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was with King when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.

Over the course of his career, Jackson built a movement to bring America’s increasingly diverse population together, with a message that centred on poor and working-class Americans.

After his presidential runs, Jackson later positioned himself as an elder statesman within the Democratic Party. His son Jesse Jackson, Jr is a former US congressman.

US President Donald Trump said “He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts. He was very gregarious – Someone who truly loved people!"

Former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, a former secretary of state, also shared tributes, saying they were friends with Jackson for almost 50 years. "Reverend Jackson championed human dignity and helped create opportunities for countless people to live better lives," they said in a statement.

House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Jackson "was a legendary voice for the voiceless," in a tribute to the late civil rights leader posted on X. "For decades, while labouring in the vineyards of the community, he inspired us to keep hope alive in the struggle for liberty and justice for all," the Democrat said.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the civil rights leader "never stopped demanding that America live up to its promise… He marched, he ran, he organised and he preached justice without apology.”

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Sarah Smith and Gary O’Donoghue.

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