In his 1984 speech at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, Mr. Jackson argued for a more diverse coalition for the party.

Black candidates weren’t considered viable contenders when he ran for president.

The Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, the towering civil rights leader whose moral vision and fiery oratory reshaped the Democratic Party and America, has died, a Rainbow Push Coalition spokesperson confirmed to CNN.

Jackson's electoral successes during his presidential runs helped pave the way for Barack Obama's 2008 nomination as well as Kamala Harris’ in 2024. But Jackson also paved the way for generations of Democrats in Chicago and beyond,