Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader and US presidential hopeful, dies at 84

Jackson, an inspirational orator and long-time Chicagoan, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017.

His death comes at a time when the administration of Donald Trump has targeted U.S. institutions, from museums to monuments to national parks, to remove what the president calls "anti-American" ideology, leading to the dismantling of slavery exhibits, the restoration of Confederate statues and other moves that civil rights advocates say could reverse decades of social progress.

The media-savvy Jackson advocated for the rights of Black Americans and other marginalized communities dating back to the turbulent civil rights movement of the 1960s spearheaded by his mentor King, a Baptist minister and towering social activist.

Jackson weathered a spate of controversies but remained America's preeminent civil rights figure for decades.

He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, attracting Black voters and many white liberals in mounting unexpectedly strong campaigns but fell short of becoming the first Black major party White House nominee. Ultimately, he never held elective office.