Rev. Jesse Jackson will retire, relinquishing longtime civil rights leadership role

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. is stepping down from his role as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the prominent civil rights organization that evolved from Operation PUSH, which the longtime civil rights leader founded a half-century ago.

U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson of Illinois on Friday confirmed his father will retire as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

According to Politico, the official announcement will be made Sunday at the annual Rainbow PUSH convention in Chicago, where Jackson's successor will be named. Vice President Kamala Harris will serve as keynote speaker for the convention.

Jackson, 81, who emerged from the Civil Rights Movement to fight for causes ranging from gender equality to economic and social justice, was diagnosed eight years ago with Parkinson’s disease, the neurodegenerative disease that also affected his father.

An ordained minister who worked alongside and learned from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who had given him a role in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Jackson likewise became a mentor to many other civil rights activists. Among them was the Rev. Al Sharpton, now president and founder of the civil rights organization National Action Network.

In a statement posted to Twitter in response to Jackson’s announcement, Sharpton praised Jackson as "one of the most productive, prophetic and dominant figures in the struggle for social justice in American history."

“It was my honor, since my mother brought me to him at 12 years old to serve as the youth director for the New York chapter of Operation Breadbasket, down through the last decade, to have been a student and protégé of his,” Sharpton said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called Jackson a "mentor" and "friend" and thanked him for all he has done for the city and nation.

"The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson is an architect of the soul of Chicago," Johnson said in a statement. "Through decades of service, he has led the Rainbow PUSH Coalition at the forefront of the struggle for civil rights and social justice. His faith, his perseverance, his love, and his relentless dedication to people inspire all of us to keep pushing for a better tomorrow."

'An anchor for me and many others'

Sharpton noted he and others mentored by Jackson had “gone on to build and lead national organizations in the generational tradition he started after being mentored by Dr. King…. We will continue to glean from him and learn from him and duplicate him in whatever our organizations and media platforms are. Because he has been an anchor for me and many others.”

Jackson made two unsuccessful runs to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. president in 1984 and 1988, but inspired millions to register to vote in the process. He served as a presidential envoy, negotiating for the release of American citizens held captive in Syria and Iraq.

In 2000, Jackson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton, and his Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition in recent years took on tech giants such as Apple, challenging them to recruit more diverse workforces.

Contributing: Grace Hauck, USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rev. Jesse Jackson to step down from Rainbow PUSH leadership role