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Rev. Jesse Jackson stepping down as head of Rainbow/PUSH Coalition

By Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Rev. Jesse Jackson FILE PHOTO: Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks during the 2022 National Action Network's Annual Convention at the Times Square Sheraton hotel on April 06, 2022 in New York City. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Jackson is stepping down from the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. (Michael M Santiago/GettyImages/Getty Images)

By Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

The Rev. Jesse Jackson is stepping down as president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the civil rights organization whose predecessor he founded more than 50 years ago, according to multiple reports.

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The 81-year-old announced the decision in a broadcast to volunteers, WLS-TV reported Friday. It was not immediately clear when he would step down. He is expected to announce his successor at the Rainbow/PUSH convention this weekend, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Jackson founded People United to Serve Humanity, or PUSH, in 1971. In 1984, he founded the Rainbow Coalition. He merged the two groups into the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in 1996.

In 2017, Jackson announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He stepped away from the day-to-day operations of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in 2022, according to the Tribune.

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Photos: Jesse Jackson through the years Here are some memorable photos of the Rev. Jesse Jackson through the years. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)

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