A charismatic figure who was always committed to defending civil rights , a fact not at all obvious given his place of origin: the segregated South. Jesse Jackson passed away at the age of 84, as announced by his family, who remembered him as "a leader who served the community, not only for our family, but also for the oppressed, the voiceless, and the marginalized around the world." The cause of death was not disclosed, although Jackson himself revealed in 2017 that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease .

From a young age, Jackson fought for the rights of African Americans, so much so that he became one of Martin Luther King Jr. 's closest collaborators, as well as his successor after his assassination in 1968. A legacy that lasted almost 20 years until 1984, when, due to some disagreements with King's other collaborators, he separated from the movement and founded the National Rainbow Coalition .

The association brought him such popularity that it convinced him to run, first in 1984 and then in 1988, in the Democratic primaries for the White House , with an electoral campaign capable of mobilizing millions of African-American and progressive voters.

He also played a key role in securing the release of several U.S. citizens and others held abroad in countries such as Syria, Iraq, and Serbia. In June 1984, at Fidel Castro's invitation, he went to Cuba to negotiate the release of 22 U.S. citizens .

(Unioneonline/ns)

© Riproduzione riservata