The Caribbean community and elected officials on Tuesday, Feb. 17, paid tribute to Civil Rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who “died peacefully” on Tuesday, his family said. He was 84.
Rev. Jackson, who ran twice for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, was an ally of slain Civil Rights Leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“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 family in a statement.
In 2017, Rev. Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In recent months, he had battled health issues, reports indicate.
Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke said she was “heartbroken” to learn of the passing of Rev. Jackson.
Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, said Rev. Jackson served the United States and his community “proudly as an advocate and change agent for civil rights, justice, and human dignity.
“Rev. Jackson dedicated his life to building a more just and equitable America,” Clarke, who is also chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), told Caribbean Life.
“From his early work alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders to founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Rev. Jackson was monumental in pushing for equality and rights for the Black community,” she added. “He ran historic presidential campaigns that expanded political participation for Black Americans and marginalized communities, under the belief that our nation could and should do better.
“As a daughter of Caribbean immigrants and a public servant representing the vibrant, diverse communities of Brooklyn, I have long stood on the shoulders of Rev. Jackson’s courage and conviction,” Clarke continued. “He showed us what fearless advocacy looks like, and the sacrifice it entails. He taught us that justice requires persistence, faith, and an unshakable belief in the power of the people.”
The congresswoman said Rev. Jackson “understood that civil rights are human rights, and that economic justice, voting rights, labor rights, and access to opportunity are all intertwined.
“He used his voice to speak truth to power, to demand accountability, and to empower those too often pushed aside due to race and socioeconomic status,” she said. “Not only did he use his voice, but he led with action and conviction.
“His life was a testament to faith in action,” Clarke added. “His legacy lives on in every ballot we cast, every barrier we break, and in every young person who dares to believe that their voice matters.”
She said her prayers are with Rev. Jackson’s family, including her “dear friend and devoted colleague, Congressman Jonathan Jackson of Illinois, as well as his many loved ones and the countless other lives he touched across this nation and around the world.
“May we honor him not only in words, but in continued progress toward the justice he so relentlessly pursued,” Clarke said. “Well done, thy good and faithful servant. May he rest in eternal power.”
Separately, the CBC said: “It is with profoundly heavy hearts that the Congressional Black Caucus mourns the passing of the civil rights leader and American icon, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.
“We extend our sincerest condolences to our friend and colleague, Rep. Jonathan Jackson; our former CBC colleague, former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.; and the entire Jackson family during this extraordinarily difficult time,” CBC said.
“Through his historic presidential campaigns and decades of organizing, Rev. Jackson helped break open doors for Black political power in this nation, expanding the electorate, building multiracial coalitions, and paving the way for a new generation of Black elected leaders,” it added. “And in 1991, Rev. Jackson would be elected as the ‘shadow’ U.S. Senator from Washington, D.C., in the ongoing effort to secure D.C. statehood.
“Among his many accomplishments – and across decades of service to our community and our nation as an activist, religious leader, and political trailblazer – Rev. Jackson will be remembered most for his unparalleled courage and moral clarity that will stand the test of time,” the CBC continued. “Reverend Jackson’s lifelong commitment to justice and equality for all will continue to inspire generations. May he rest in peace.”
Civil Rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton said Rev. Jackson was his mentor.
“I just prayed with his family by phone. He was a consequential and transformative leader who changed this nation and the world,” Rev. Sharpton said. “He shaped public policy and changed laws.
“He kept the dream alive and taught young children from broken homes, like me, that we don’t have broken spirits,” he added. “He told us we were somebody and made us believe.
“I will always cherish him taking me under his wing, and I will forever try to do my part to keep hope alive,” Rev. Sharpton continued. “A giant has gone home. Sending prayers, so many prayers, love, and heartfelt condolences to the Jackson family and to every person around the world whose life he touched and who loved him.”
Photo courtesy Office of New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn
New York State Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, said she was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering figure in the Civil Rights Movement, who stood shoulder to shoulder with other legendary leaders in the fight for justice, equality, and the advancement of African Americans.
“Rev. Jackson did more than champion civil rights — he expanded the very landscape of political activism in this country,” said Bichotte Hermelyn, who chairs the Brooklyn Democratic Party, noting that, in 1984, he became the second African American to run for President of the United States.
In 1968, the late Shirley Chisholm, the daughter of Barbadian and Guyanese immigrants, became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress, representing New York’s 12th Congressional District.
In the 1972 US presidential election, Chisholm became the first woman and Black candidate to seek a major party’s nomination for President.
Bichotte Hermelyn, who represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn, said Rev. Jackson “courageously mounted a second campaign in 1988.
“His willingness to step into that arena opened doors for generations of leaders who followed,” she said. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, and all who were touched by his life’s work.
“As our nation mourns this great loss, we also reflect on the profound legacy he leaves behind—a legacy of courage, conviction, and unwavering commitment to justice,” Bichotte Hermelyn added.
The San Diego, CA-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) also mourned the passing of Rev. Jackson, describing him as “a towering civil rights leader whose lifelong advocacy for justice, equality, and human dignity profoundly impacted immigrants and marginalized communities in the United States and around the world.
“Rev. Jackson played a pivotal role in the international movement to end apartheid in South Africa, advocating for sanctions against the apartheid regime and mobilizing US political and civil society support to confront institutionalized racial oppression,” HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef told Caribbean Life. “His engagement with African leaders and global institutions reflected his conviction that freedom anywhere is inseparable from freedom everywhere.
“This commitment extended through his service as a U.S. Special Envoy focused on democracy promotion, where he advanced democratic governance, human rights, and U.S.–Africa relations across the continent,” she added.
Jozef said Rev. Jackson was also a “steadfast defender of immigrant and refugee rights.
“For decades, he challenged discriminatory US immigration policies and condemned the unequal treatment of Haitian asylum seekers, insisting on a single standard of dignity and fairness for all, and called for the extension of Temporary Protected Status,” she said.
“Rev. Jesse Jackson’s extraordinary life and legacy stand as a powerful example of how movements can—and must—come together to confront injustice on a global scale,” she added. “His advocacy demonstrated that the struggle for civil rights, immigrant justice, and human dignity is deeply interconnected across borders and communities.
“In that spirit, Haitian Bridge Alliance reiterates its call for movements, advocates, and institutions to join forces in challenging unjust policies that harm Americans and the global community alike, and in advancing a shared vision of justice, dignity, and collective liberation,” Jozef continued.
New York State Sen. Kevin Parker, representative for the 21st Senate District in the heart of the Caribbean community in Brooklyn, said that the “nation mourns the loss of a towering moral voice, a civil rights giant, and a relentless champion for justice in the person of Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.
“From the front lines with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the global fight for human rights, Rev. Jackson never backed down, never softened his truth, and never stopped demanding dignity for people of color and the oppressed,” Parker said. “He showed that hope is not passive — it is a discipline, a weapon, and a responsibility.
“And when he told us to ‘keep hope alive,’ it wasn’t rhetoric or a slogan — it was instruction, a call to action, a spiritual charge, and a roadmap for everyone committed to equity and human dignity,” he added. “His voice lifted movements, his courage opened doors, and we pray that his legacy will continue to ignite the fire for justice in all of us.
“Let’s honor his memory by refusing to retreat, refusing to be silent, and refusing to accept anything less than freedom and equality,” Parker continued. “My prayers are with his family and the countless lives he touched. Our duty now is to keep his flame burning.”
