Reactions to the death of the Rev. Jesse Jackson
Feb 17, 2026, 6:29 AM
FILE - U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson and NAACP President Derrick Johnson march across the Edmund Pettus bridge during the 60th anniversary of the march to ensure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote, March 9, 2025, in Selma, Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)
Eulogies are pouring in after the death of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, who led the U.S. Civil Rights Movement for decades. The protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate was 84.
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“He was a gifted negotiator and a courageous bridge‑builder, serving humanity by bringing calm into tense rooms and creating pathways where none existed.
“My family shares a long and meaningful history with him, rooted in a shared commitment to justice and love. As we grieve, we give thanks for a life that pushed hope into weary places.” — Rev. Bernice King, daughter of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
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“Today, I lost the man who first called me into purpose when I was just twelve years old. And our nation lost one of its greatest moral voices. The Reverend 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.”— Rev. Al Sharpton
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“I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’ He was very gregarious – Someone who truly loved people! … Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him.” — President Donald Trump
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“So I extend condolences to his family. Mrs. Jackie Jackson, all of his children, and the work that he has done will continue, because they are all seriously involved in public decision-making. And so though he will be gone, he will continue to live on.” — Rep. Danny Davis of Illinois, whose district includes Chicago
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“As a kid growing up in public housing while watching him run for President, Rev. Jesse Jackson gave me a glimpse of what is possible and taught me to say, “I am somebody!” As an adult, I was proud to call him a friend.
“With an eloquence and rhythmic rhetoric all his own, Jesse Jackson reminded America that equal justice is not inevitable; it requires vigilance and commitment, and for freedom fighters, sacrifice. His ministry was poetry and spiritual power in the public square. He advanced King’s dream and bent the arc of history closer to justice.” — Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. pastored for a time
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“Reverend Jesse Jackson was not only a civil rights icon—he was family to the NAACP. His work advanced Black America at every turn. He challenged this nation to live up to its highest ideals, and he reminded our movement that hope is both a strategy and a responsibility. His historic run for president inspired millions and brought race to the forefront of American politics.” — NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell, Vice Chair Karen Boykin Towns and President & CEO Derrick Johnson
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“His campaigns for an end to apartheid included disinvestment from the apartheid economy and challenging the support the regime enjoyed in certain circles and institutions internationally.
“We are deeply indebted to the energy, principled clarity and personal risk with which he supported our struggle and campaigned for freedom and equality in other parts of the world.” — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
