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Jesse Jackson's "unwavering commitment to justice, equality and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity".

Those were the words of Jackson's family as they announced the news of the 84-year-old's death on Tuesday.

World leaders joined them in paying tribute to the civil rights campaigner who rose to prominence as a protege of Martin Luther King Jr during the 1960s.

US President Donald Trump described Jackson as a "force of nature", while former vice-president Kamala Harris said he was "one of America's greatest patriots".

Perhaps the highest praise came from Barack Obama, who said Jackson's achievements had allowed him to stand "on his shoulders" in becoming the first black president of the United States. "He laid the foundation for my own campaign to the highest office of the land," Obama said in tribute.

Jackson built a career around working to politically organise and improve the lives of African-Americans, and became a national force during his two White House campaigns, writes the BBC's Anthony Zurcher.

His cause of death has not yet been confirmed, but he was hospitalised in November after being diagnosed with a degenerative condition.

Here we take a look at Jackson's life in pictures, external, from civil rights activism to party politics.

We're closing our live page now, but you can read more of our coverage here:

• The Martin Luther King protege who helped reshape America
• How Jesse Jackson paved way for Barack Obama - and helped change US
• Jesse Jackson: A life in pictures

Image source, Reuters

Civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton has been speaking at a news conference in New York City following the death of Jesse Jackson.

The pair worked together closely for many years in the civil rights movement.

He says he received a text from Jesse Jackson Jr at around 02:30 local time to inform him that Jesse Jackson had died.

Later that morning, he prayed with the family over the phone before Jackson's body was removed.

Sharpton said that while Jackson was "very ill", when the moment came, "you're never prepared for it".

He also highlighted some of Jackson's notable moments, including being by Martin Luther King's side when he was killed.

"I'm not talking about somebody who is a removed figure in history. He literally changed politics."

Image source, Getty Images

Following Barack Obama's tribute to Jesse Jackson - let's take a moment to remember an image that linked the two men in the public consciousness - Jackson's tears on the night of Obama's 2008 election victory.

Afterwards Jackson spoke to US broadcaster National Public Radio about the emotion of that historic occasion.

"It was the joy of that moment. Because as he stood there all majestically, I knew people in the villages of Kenya and Haiti and the castles of Europe and faraway places were hoping that this meant a new day for them. I saw them with all of their hope invested in President-elect Barack Obama," he said.

He said the pair had "a good relationship, and I respect him so much".

"America made the right choice. You know, I voted for him six times: twice as state senator, twice as US senator, twice as president. I was prouder each time that I had the choice to vote for him in primaries and elections. And so that's behind us," he said.

We can now bring you the rest of Barack Obama's statement:

Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of a true giant, the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

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.

Reverend Jackson also created opportunities for generations of African Americans and inspired countless more, including us. Michelle got her first glimpse of political organizing at the Jacksons’ kitchen table when she was a teenager. And in his two historic runs for president, he laid the foundation for my own campaign to the highest office of the land.

Michelle and I will always be grateful for Jesse's lifetime of service, and the friendship our families share. We stood on his shoulders. We send our deepest condolences to the Jackson family and everyone in Chicago and beyond who knew and loved him.

• Jackson was famously seen in tears on the night Obama won the US presidential election in 2008

Former US President Barack Obama has shared his tribute to Jesse Jackson.

In a statement shared on X he says he and Michelle Obama were saddened to hear of Jackson's death and said the pair would "always be grateful for Jesse's lifetime of service".

"We stood on his shoulders," Obama says.

We'll bring you Obama's full statement shortly

Image source, Getty Images

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

Image source, Getty Images

In March 1999 - just over a month into Nato's bombing campaign on Yugoslavia - three US Army soldiers were captured while on patrol, the beginning of a 33-day long ordeal.

Instrumental in their release was Jesse Jackson, who, with the war still raging, flew to Belgrade to lead efforts to negotiate for their release.

One of the soldiers was Andrew Ramirez, then a Sergeant with the Army's First Infantry Division.

In an interview with the BBC, Ramirez recalled being suddenly surprised to hear of Jackson's involvement. During his time in captivity, he had only a limited understanding of what was happening in the outside world.

"They [the Yugoslavs] walked us, handcuffed, into a room. I saw CNN cameras and other agencies," he recalled. "I turned and I see Reverend Jesse Jackson."

"I later joked with him and told him I thought it was crazy," he added. "They even got Reverend Jackson captive!"

Ramirez and the two other soldiers later traveled out of Yugoslavia with Jackson - an experience he remembers fondly.

"He was very confident. He told me were were going home and that our families were rooting for us," he says. "He just wanted to make sure we were taken care of."

The two later maintained a relationship over the years.

"I'm very heartbroken," Ramirez adds. "He did something for us. He didn't have to do that... I truly believe he saw a group of people in need."

Image source, Reuters/File photo

Bill and Hillary Clinton have also shared a tribute to Jesse Jackson in the last few minutes.

The couple say they are "deeply saddened" by his death as they outline they have been friends for "almost fifty years" since meeting in 1977.

"From his early days working with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr; to his founding of the organizations now united as Rainbow/PUSH; to his efforts to free innocents and promote fair elections around the globe, Reverend Jackson championed human dignity and helped create opportunities for countless people to live better lives," the statement reads.

They add that Jackson "never stopped working for a better America with brighter tomorrows" citing his campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.

"Hillary and I loved him very much. Our hearts and prayers go out to Jackie, their children and grandchildren, and all the people across America and around the world who were inspired by his service to humanity," they say.

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
Reporting from Washington, DC

Image source, Getty Images

Jesse Jackson was one of the most recognisable figures in US politics.

As journalist David Masciotra spent extended time with him while writing a biography of Jackson, he says he saw many sides of the civil rights icon.

"I walked with him through airports and sat with him in restaurants, and wherever he went, people would recognise him and want their photos or autograph," Masciotra, author of "I Am Somebody: Why Jesse Jackson Matters," recalls.

"I never once saw him treat anyone rudely or tell anyone to go away. He was very generous and very warm and hospitable."

Masciotra says Jackson was also funny, recalling being surprised by his jovial nature during their first time meeting.

"I was meeting this great man, this accomplished leader, so I felt that everything would be formal and professional, but he was very quick with a joke and eager to laugh," he tells me.

"Although he took what he did profoundly seriously, I never got the sense that he took himself too seriously."

Emmanuel Macron has joined world leaders sharing tributes to Jesse Jackson, calling him a tireless promoter for civil rights.

He says Jackson worked to defend peace, justice and fraternity, in a post on X.

The French president awarded Jackson a Légion d’Honneur in 2021 for his work in the civil rights movement and campaigning for peace and justice.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

I've just got off the phone with former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich - a man whose own history intertwined with Jesse Jackson's on numerous occasions.

While the pair originally met early on through Illinois Democratic circles and through Jackson's son - a Congressman - Blagojevich and Jackson are perhaps best known for the travels to Yugoslavia in 1999, where they negotiated the release of three US soldiers captured during the Kosovo War.

"I feel like I lost a friend...he will always have a special place in my heart," Blagojevich tells me. "His legacy is there with Martin Luther King and Frederick Douglass."

The last time he saw Jackson, he recalls, was the summer before last.

"He was heroically and courageously facing the terrible Parkinson's disease," he recalled. "He needed assistance from an aide to even get out of his chair. But it was amazing to see someone so strong and forceful deal with that kind of burden."

Blagojevich, who served as governor between 2003 and 2009, was in 2011 convicted in a federal corruption scandal and sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.

In 2020, President Donald Trump commuted his sentence, and fully pardoned him last year. Blagojevich credits Jackson with helping convince Trump to commute that sentence.

"I called him literally the moment I was released from prison, where I'd spend 2,896 days - one month short of eight years," he says. "It was ironic. In 1999 the two us went across the ocean and, he, with a little help from me, freed US soldiers."

"Who would have thought that one day he would be doing the same thing, but playing a role in freeing me," Blagojevich adds.

Jackson's granddaughter, Donatella Jackson, says her "heart aches" following the news of his death.

Paying tribute to Jackson on Instagram, the 25-year-old says she is "thankful for the unconditional love, the endless support and the steadfastness with which you doted me".

"Constantly stepping up as the leader I needed when many could not meet the moment, as you have done for so many others."

She adds that "it is a blessing to carry your name forward, to be a reminder of a love that has endured".

Image source, Getty Images

Former US president Joe Biden is the latest to pay tribute to Jesse Jackson, saying the civil rights leader was "unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of our nation".

He says Jackson led the US "through tumult and triumph" with a sense of optimism and "a relentless insistence on what is right and just".

"Reverend Jackson believed in his bones the promise of America: that we are all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives," Biden says in a post on X.

"While we've never fully lived up to that promise, he dedicated his life to ensuring we never fully walked away from it either."

Image source, Getty Images

If you're just joining us, we're seeing tributes pour in for US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who has died aged 84.

US President Donald Trump said Jackson was a "force of nature like few others before him". He added that it was his pleasure to "help Jesse along the way".

Fellow civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, who worked closely with Jackson, said he was a "consequential and transformative leader".

Diane Abbott, the first black woman elected to the UK Parliament, said Jackson "never stopped fighting for and caring about ordinary black people".

Former US vice-president Kamala Harris, who said Jackson "widened the path for generations to follow in his footsteps and lead".

"Reverend Jackson was a selfless leader, mentor, and friend to me and so many others," Harris said in a social media post.

We've also heard from Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr, who posted a photograph of her father alongside Jackson with the caption "both now ancestors".

Meanwhile New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the civil rights leader "preached justice without apology" in a tribute posted on X.

Jesse Jackson had a long political career, and a life full of meeting influential people.

Here's a look at his life through the people he met, from politicians to royals.

Image source, AFP

Image source, Reuters

Image source, PA Media

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
Reporting from Washington, DC

Image source, Porter Gifford/Liaison via Getty images

Jesse Jackson's twice historic run for the US presidency transformed the modern Democratic Party, says David Masciotra, author of "I Am Somebody: Why Jesse Jackson Matters."

Although Jackson didn't win the Democratic Party's nomination in 1984 and 1988, his "Rainbow Coalition" spoke to a wide range of marginalised groups.

His campaigns "were historically and groundbreaking in that they altered the demography and ideology of the Democratic Party," Masciotra tells me.

"He registered millions of voters for the first time, many of them, black, Latino, Native American [and] Asian... He was the first candidate for the presidency to make support for gay rights a major part of his platform as well as support for women's leadership pledging to select a woman running mate if he were to get the nomination."

Today, black voters overwhelmingly back Democrats in elections and in 2021, Kamala Harris became the first woman vice president with Pete Buttigieg also becoming the first openly gay US cabinet secretary.

"All of that was ahead of its time, but eventually altered the Democratic Party in significant ways both in terms of personnel and politics," Masciotra says.

Jesse Jackson was a key voice of the US civil rights movement of the 1960s, and went on to be a prominent US political figure.

In the clip below, we've pulled together some of the key moments in his life and work.

Image source, Getty Images

In Jesse Jackson's 1988 speech at the Democratic National Convention, he used his platform to shed light on his early years and his relatability.

"I wasn't always on television, writers weren't always outside my door," he told delegates.

"When I was born late one afternoon October 8 in Greenville, South Carolina, no writers asked my mother her name - nobody chose to write down our address."

He said he was born to a teenage mother who herself was born to a teenage mother - Helen Burns was 16 at the time she had Jesse and, unmarried, was expelled from her local Baptist church after she became pregnant.

"I understand - I know abandonment and people being mean to you," he continued.

"I'm a working person's person [...] I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth."

His speech ended with the refrain "keep hope alive" and would be echoed decades later in the "hope and change" slogan of Obama's successful 2008 presidential campaign.

You can read our full obituary.

Image source, Getty Images

Former vice-president Kamala Harris has paid tribute to Jackson, calling him "one of America's greatest patriots".

Harris, who ran on the Democrat ticket for the White House in 2024 says in a post on X that Jackson's own campaigns for the nomination "electrified millions of Americans and showed them what could be possible".

She says that he "gave a voice to people who were removed from power and politics".

"He let us know our voices mattered. He instilled in us that we were somebody. And he widened the path for generations to follow in his footsteps and lead," she adds.

Harris recalls driving with a bumper sticker which read "Jesse Jackson for President" as a student, and says "you would not believe how people from every walk of life would give me a thumbs up or honk of support."

"Reverend Jackson was a selfless leader, mentor, and friend to me and so many others," Harris adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has recalled how Jesse Jackson was "one of the first people to call" him following the 2011 riots that started in Lammy's constituency of Tottenham.

He says Jackson was a "pillar of the civil rights movement" and a "dear friend" of his predecessor, the former Tottenham MP Bernie Grant.

"It was a privilege to share such precious time with him in Chicago and London over the years," Lammy writes on X.

"May his legacy live on."

Image source, Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has described Jesse Jackson as a "force of nature like few others before him" in a tribute following the civil rights leader's death.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump described Jackson as a good man with "lots of personality, grit and street smarts".

He says it was his pleasure to "help Jesse along the way", and says this is despite - he claims - that he is consistently called a racist by the "scoundrels and lunatics" on the "radical left".

"He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!" he adds.