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Former President Barack Obama shared a statement reacting to the death of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson on his social media accounts Tuesday (February 17).
"Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of a true giant, the Reverend Jesse Jackson. We 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," Obama wrote.
Jackson's family announced his death in a statement obtained by ABC News Tuesday morning.
"Our father was a servant leader -- not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world," the family statement said.
"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," it added.
Jackson was reported to be placed on life support and receiving treatement at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in November. The civil rights leader was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative condition progressive supranuclear palsy, similar to Parkinson's, which Jackson had been diagnosed with in 2017.
Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH organization had previously confirmed his hospitalization on November 13.
"We are grateful for the medical team at Northwestern Hospital," the Rainbow PUSH Coalition said in a statement after Jackson was hospitalized in November via ABC News. "They will continue to monitor his progress and well-being to ensure the best possible care and support."
"The family is grateful for all the well-wishes and prayers," the statement added.
Jackson began as a young protégé to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement and maintained his status as a prominent civil rights leader for more than seven decades, having served as a shadow delegate and senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. The South Carolina native ran for president as a Democrat twice, placing third for the party's nomination in both the 1984 and 1988 elections, which were the most successful runs by any Black candidate prior to former President Obama winning the nomination and presidency in 2008.