\u201cI am deeply grateful to my father for his trust, his guidance, and the example he set for all of us,\u201d Yusef Jackson said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Before the reverend\u2019s death, he had designated his son Yusef his successor, Rainbow PUSH said in a news release. For the past two years, the younger Jackson had served as the organization\u2019s chief operating officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will carry forward his vision with renewed energy and direction \u2014 strengthening our strategy, sharpening our tactics and building momentum to meet this moment with the urgency it demands,\u201d his statement continued.<\/p>\n
The senior Jackson died Feb. 17<\/a> at age 84. His health had been in decline for years due to progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disorder. His death marked the loss of a titan in the Civil Rights Movement, defined by a six-decade career that took him across the country and around the world. More than 1,000 people gathered to celebrate<\/a> his life last month, including former presidents, Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and sports icons.<\/p>\n The Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon and Chicago-based presidential candidate, dies at 84<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n A day after his father\u2019s death, Yusef Jackson stood on the steps of their family home in Chicago\u2019s Jackson Park Highlands area and said he, his family and \u201cthe many others touched by him, inspired by him, are left obligated to continue his work to make our nation a better place for all through the techniques, tools, and platforms he championed and left us to use.\u201d<\/p>\n The inception of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition dates back to 1971, when Jesse Jackson Sr. founded then Operation PUSH, a sweeping civil rights organization based on Chicago\u2019s South Side. Thirteen years later, he founded the National Rainbow Coalition. By 1996, the two had merged to become the joint Rainbow\/PUSH, now known as the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.<\/p>\n Jackson stepped down from heading Rainbow PUSH in 2023 and at the time, chose the Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III as his successor. But Haynes resigned from the position three months into the job<\/a>. Ever since, day-to-day operational insight has been under Yusef Jackson.<\/p>\n Jacqueline Jackson in a statement said the formal change in Rainbow PUSH leadership marks a \u201csolemn and pivotal moment for our organization\u201d as they mourn the loss of her late husband but \u201calso celebrate his enduring legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
![\"Yusef](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CTC-L-Rev-Jesse-Jackson-dies18.jpg\")
Yusef Jackson addresses the media regarding the passing of his father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, outside the family home on Feb. 18, 2026. (E. Jason Wambsgans\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n