Jesse Jackson, a historic leader in the civil rights movement in the United States and a two-time presidential candidate, has died at the age of 84, as reported by NBC.
Jackson was one of the most influential figures in the fight for racial equality in the United States for over five decades. A close collaborator of Martin Luther King Jr., he actively participated in the civil rights movement in the sixties and later founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
He ran as a presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in 1984 and 1988, becoming one of the first African Americans with real chances of winning the nomination of a major party in the United States.
Throughout his life, he was an influential voice on social justice, civil rights, and political participation of minorities.
"Our father was a leader in service to others, not only for our family but also for the oppressed, the voiceless, and the forgotten around the world," said one of Jackson's sons.