Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon, dies aged 84

A fixture in Democratic politics who ran for 1988 presidential nomination, Jackson was once close to Martin Luther King Jr The Rev Jesse Jackson, the civil rights campaigner who was prominent for more than 50 years and who ran strongly for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988, has died. He was 84. “Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said in a statement. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.” Continue reading...

By Melissa Hellmann and Martin Pengelly