He died on Tuesday morning in Chicago, surrounded by family, after a long battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP.
Jackson is being honored and remembered on Tuesday for six decades of service to the Civil Rights Movement, his efforts to uplift the downtrodden, and his work to expand voter access and participation.
"A giant," "an icon" and "a servant" are just some of the words being used to describe Jackson. His impact was felt from the South to Chicago, across the country and spanning the globe.
"I am somebody" was an iconic refrain that Jackson preached and lived. And as someone whose mission was to make a difference, he did so in many ways.
"I think that he understood the moment and where the movement needed to be to meet the various moments where people were, and he really pulled together a huge, broad cross section of people from all walks of life," said former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Jackson's work in the Civil Rights Movement as a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr. led to his move to Chicago to begin Operation Breadbasket.
READ MORE | Examining the history of Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition
"Which really ignited, I think, his presence and his roots here in our great city, you can't really think about Chicago, and the Civil Rights Movement without thinking about Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.," Lightfoot said.
Jackson would go on to form Operation Rainbow PUSH. His impact was widespread and profound. His death at age 84 is a cause for mourning.
"We expected it, but yet, not prepared. It's a passing of a of a real icon, somebody that has mentored many of us and meant so much, not only in Chicago, but obviously, all across the world," said New Mount Pilgrim Church Rev. Marshall Hatch.
Jackson tapped Hatch to open an office for Operation PUSH on Chicago's West Side some 25 years ago. Hatch considered Jackson a mentor and traveled overseas with him.
"It was right before 9/11, and we were walking somewhere in Israel, and then in the West Bank, and people were saying, 'Jesse, Jesse, Jesse.' And I said, this guy from Greenville, South Carolina, has made such a name for himself. He's a global icon," Hatch said.
Chicago Ald. Will Hall served as Jackson's personal assistant for about a decade, starting in 2006, also traveling the world with him.
"I think that the measure of his legacy is, did we show up, and are we serving like him, and that's what makes him one that will always be in our hearts forever, is the moments he showed up," Hall said.
SEE ALSO | How Rev. Jesse Jackson's historic runs for president paved way for generations of Black politicians
Jackson's two presidential runs raised the hopes of many who felt left out of the political process.
"Well, he was an incredible magnet for voter registration. Nobody registered more voters when he ran in '84 and '88," Hatch said.
Jackson is credited with sparking a wave of voter registration in his first presidential campaign in 1984, and again in 1988.
"This man was driven by something that not many people have, and that's a part of his uniqueness. He kept showing up," said Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, D-Chicago's Southwest Side. "The voter registration efforts... creating consciousness in the Black community about the potential for increasing voter impact."
Garcia was a Jackson delegate in both campaigns. Jackson teased Garcia about his first name.
"Thought that it was a wonderful gift to have the name of Jesus, so he would joke with me about what it was like to have that name," Garcia said.
At the 1988 Democratic Convention in Atlanta, Jackson delivered an address for the ages.
"We must never surrender! America will get better and better! Keep hope alive!" he said.
Jackson also worked to help those disenfranchised in other parts of the country and other parts of the world. He used his platform on the international stage, negotiating a number of hostage releases in the 1980s and 1990s.
How Rev. Jesse Jackson helped free 3 US soldiers held captive overseas
"He saw civil rights in a broader context, and led to the diplomatic work that he did to bring hostages home, to negotiate peace agreements, and to really get to bridge the divides that separated countries and leaders," Lightfoot said.
On the North Side on Tuesday, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich credited Jackson's appeal to President Donald Trump for his release from prison. But Blagojevich's connection to Jackson goes back to 1999.
"He was magnificent. He was fearless. He was determined. He was caring, and he was great," Blagojevich said.
In 1999, Jackson led an interfaith delegation to Yugoslavia. At the time, Blagojevich, the son of a Serbian father, was a junior congressman. Blagojevich recalled the influence Jackson had negotiating the release of three U.S. soldiers who were held for 32 days.
"Reverend Jackson was not just a big figure in the United States. He was an international figure, and he had success before in Syria, in Cuba freeing people, releasing people who were wrongly being held," Blagojevich said.
Blagojevich saw Jackson last year as the civil rights icon struggled with his rare, debilitating neurological disorder.
"He was a great example of someone who faced adversity with great courage and tenacity and very inspirational," Blagojevich said. "He pushed doors open to create opportunities for people who were dispossessed, not just for Black people, but there is a reason it's the Rainbow coalition; it's for all people who without a voice who were outcasts who were underdogs... I have a great sense of sadness. I lost a friend.
We may have lost a lion for justice, but he leaves a fierce legacy.
"Without a Jesse Jackson, a lot of the doors that were opened for people in corporations and in the field of politics for all colors and all races and all ethnicities, it wouldn't have been opened," said Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Reginald Sharpe Jr.
Former President Barack Obama once said "[Jackson] laid the foundation for my own campaign."
In a joint statement with former First Lady Michelle Obama, the former president said, "For more than 60 years, Reverend Jackson helped lead some of the most significant movements for change in human history. From organizing 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."
There were missteps, including offensive remarks in 1984 about the Jewish community. He was also seen as divisive by some conservatives. But after his passing, he has received bipartisan praise.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement Jackson was a "giant of the civil rights movement."
"He broke down barriers, inspired generations, and kept hope alive. Our state, nation, and world are better due to his years of service," the governor said.
Pritzker said he is ordering flags to half-staff to honor him.
Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran said, "Rev. Jesse Jackson dedicated his life and career to fighting for justice."
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Jackson was a mentor and he has also ordered flags at half-staff in honor of him.
"I am devastated to lose my mentor and friend, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. My heart and prayers are with his devoted family- his wife Jacqueline, their children Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef and Jackie, daughter Ashley Jackson, and their dear grandchildren," Johnson said in a statement, in part. "We honor him, and his hard-earned legacy as a freedom fighter, philosopher, and faithful shepherd of his family and community here in Chicago. I am personally grateful for Rev. Jackson and his family embracing me and our city with his wisdom and guidance. His friendship, counsel and prayers had a deep impact on my family.
Rev. Al Sharpton was among those paying tribute to Jackson.
"My mentor, Rev. Jesse Jackson, has passed," Sharpton said. "I just prayed with his family by phone. He was a consequential and transformative leader who changed this nation and the world. 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," Sharpton wrote. "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."
Jackson worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter, Bernice King, who shared a photo of her father with Jackson, writing, "Both now ancestors."
President Donald Trump also praised Jackson in a post, saying in part, "He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and "street smarts." He was very gregarious - Someone who truly loved people!"
Former President Joe Biden said in a statement, in part, "Throughout our decades of friendship and partnership, I've known Reverend Jackson as history will remember him: a man of God and of the people. Determined and tenacious. Unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of our Nation. I've seen how Reverend Jackson has helped lead our Nation forward through tumult and triumph. He's done it with optimism, and a relentless insistence on what is right and just. Whether through impassioned words on the campaign trail, or moments of quiet courage, Reverend Jackson influenced generations of Americans, and countless elected leaders, including Presidents."
Former Vice President Kamala Harris posted, "Reverend Jesse Jackson was one of America's greatest patriots. He spent his life summoning all of us to fulfill the promise of America and building the coalitions to make that promise real."
Congressman Danny Davis said in a statement in part, "Reverend Jackson was one of the greatest moral voices of our time. He dedicated his life to fighting for those who had been left out and left behind. He gave voice to the poor, the oppressed, the forgotten, and the marginalized. He helped our nation live closer to its promise of justice and equality for all."
Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in part, "The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. was a legendary voice for the voiceless, powerful civil rights champion and trailblazer extraordinaire."
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement, saying, "Reverend Jackson never stopped working for a better America with brighter tomorrows, including his historic campaigns for the Presidency in 1984 and 1988 in which he championed the concerns of Black, Latino, Asian, and lower income white Americans. I will always be grateful for the friendship he gave Hillary, Chelsea and me; proud to have nominated him as my Special Envoy for the Promotion of Democracy in Africa; and honored to present him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom."
Former Congressman Bobby Rush said in a statement, "The Reverend taught me so many things through the enormity of his leadership, his passion, and his endless sacrifices for 'the least of these.' He literally saved my life on the stage of Operation Breadbasket-later to become Operation PUSH-on Saturday, December 6, 1969... A warrant had been issued for my arrest after the FBI assassinated Fred Hampton. I turned myself in that day, and Reverend Jackson said they'd better return me in the same condition I was in on that stage. If it were not for Reverend Jackson, Renault Robinson, and others, I would have been dead."
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, released a statement, saying, "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... We honor his legacy by continuing the work he championed: protecting the right to vote, expanding economic opportunity, and fighting for the freedom and dignity of Black people everywhere."
Jerry Thomas, a former spokesperson for Jackson, said he should be remembered as someone who sacrificed tremendously to advocate for people in need of all colors, saying, "I remember going into Appalachia and he was fighting for the rights of people whose family had died of black lung disease. These were Caucasians who lived in the hills of Ohio, Reverend Jackson was someone who was tirelessly working for people."
Del Marie Cobb, a former press secretary for Jackson, said he knew everything that was going on in the world and always had opinions on how to make things better, saying, "He was able to step in and return hostage when nobody else could. Here's an ordinary person that is not part of the government but was able to reach out to other countries and collaborate with them to bring endings back that were beneficial to the United States when people in the government weren't able to do that. So that was his life. That was not something he had to work at."
Chicago Teachers Union President Stacey Gates said in a statement in part, "Today, the downtrodden, the dispossessed and the marginalized lost our most fierce and brilliant champion-Revered Jesse Jackson. Our superhero. Our civil rights leader. Our moral compass. Our giant. Our American Patriot."
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said in a statement, "I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson. Rev. Jackson rose from the shackles of Jim Crow in Greenville, South Carolina, to become an international icon. He walked alongside the greatest figures of the 20th Century, including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., but Rev. Jackson stood in the shadow of no one. He always forged his own path."