“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 added.
“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.”
A Complicated Chapter
Tuesday’s statement also publicly acknowledged daughter Ashley, a reminder of a deeply personal chapter that became national news more than two decades ago.
In January 2001, Jesse admitted to an extramarital affair that resulted in the birth of a daughter. “This is no time for evasions, denials or alibis,” he said at the time, according to ABC News. “I fully accept responsibility, and I am truly sorry for my actions.”
He said he had been providing the child with “emotional and financial” support.
Ashley’s mother, Karin Stanford, later said that she wanted Jesse “to be a father” to their daughter, according to a 2001 report from CNN. At the time, she said Jesse had been paying $4,000 a month in child support.
“This child deserves the monthly support she receives, a life insurance policy, provisions for a college education, and, most importantly, dignity and privacy,” Jesse said in response to questions from CNN in 2001.
Who Is Ashley Jackson?
Today, Ashley Laverne Jackson is a writer, producer, and social impact advocate.
According to her official biography, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in 2025 from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program, becoming the first Spelman College graduate to complete the program. She previously graduated summa cum laude with an independent major focused on African American Narratives in Cinema and Television.
Ashley has worked in television development, including participating in the inaugural Disney Apprenticeship Program and supporting series such as “Grown-ish.” She also serves as a First Up Fellow under Showrunner Prentice Penny.
Through her nonprofit and podcast, PUSH The Next Generation, she focuses on youth civic engagement and cross-generational dialogue. She has spoken for national organizations and was named one of the “100 Under 40” Most Influential People of African Descent in Media & Culture by MIPAD in partnership with the United Nations.
She has also described her work as rooted in justice, identity, and civic engagement, values closely associated with her father’s public life.
Rev. Jackson Was a Witness to History
Long before his presidential campaigns, Jesse stood beside the late Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. He was present in Memphis on April 4, 1968, when the legendary activist was assassinated.
Jesse Jackson holds a copy of the Daily Defender newspaper, which features the headline “King Murdered!” on April 5, 1968.
In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Jesse recalled the moment, saying, “Every time I think about it, it’s like pulling a scab off a sore. It’s a hurtful, painful thought: that a man of love is killed by hate; that a man of peace should be killed by violence; a man who cared is killed by the careless.“
Jesse and Andrew Young were among the last surviving aides who witnessed the assassination.
Jesse Jackson carries the United Nations flag in the funeral procession of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 9, 1968.
From Pulpit to Presidential Politics
Jesse first made national headlines in 1984 when he entered the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. At the time, he was 42 years old and running with limited funds, a small staff, and no early consensus support from Black voters.
As The New York Times reported in 1984, he was not simply a Black candidate; he was widely viewed as a “serious” Black presidential candidate. That shift carried long-term political consequences, energizing voters and reshaping how many Americans viewed Black leadership in national office.
He ran again in 1988, further cementing his place in political history. His campaigns brought issues of racial justice, voting access, and economic inequality into the national spotlight.
Reverend Jesse Jackson speaks to a Democratic gathering at the Cheyenne Civic Center on April 20, 1989.
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