In Memoriam: Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

The Council on Foreign Relations mourns the passing of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. A life-long champion of civil rights and human dignity, Jesse advocated tirelessly for more than six decades, working across racial, class, and party lines to build a freer country.

We are proud that the Council had the good sense to grant him life membership in 1990. Indeed, it was as a Council member that Jesse traveled to Iraq during the first Gulf War and later to then-Yugoslavia during the Bosnian War, where he successfully negotiated the release of twenty-three Americans held in captivity. 

We last saw the Reverend at the Council in 2021 for a workshop on religion and foreign policy, where he delivered the closing prayer—one that called for dialogue across divides and clear-eyed scrutiny of world affairs, a charge that resonates deeply with the Council’s mission. 

For his service, his advocacy, his diplomacy, and his enrichment of the Council community, we are deeply grateful. We extend our deepest condolences to Jesse’s family and loved ones. May his memory be a blessing. 

Michael Froman, President