WASHINGTON, DC – Today, following the passing of longtime civil rights leader and former presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., who was recently diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) issued the following statement:

“In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. launched the Chicago chapter of Operation Breadbasket and asked a young Jesse Jackson to lead it. In the ensuing decades, Reverend Jackson served as a powerful voice for the Black community and working class people. A Baptist minister, Reverend Jackson was also a tireless activist, organizer, and civil rights leader. He helped found the Rainbow PUSH Coalition as a way to bring people from all walks of life together, mobilize interracial and interfaith coalitions, and advance economic justice and expand opportunities for overlooked and disadvantaged communities.

“I join Rhode Islanders in mourning the passing of the Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. He was a witness to, a participant in, and proponent of some of the most pivotal and consequential moments in civil rights history. As a presidential candidate, Reverend Jackson paved the way for a new generation of leaders. He helped advance voting rights, equal opportunity, and progressive social change. We are saddened by his loss and extend our best wishes to his family, friends, and supporters.”