Photo: Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images
Rev. Jesse Jackson, the founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, is stepping down as president, the organization said in a statement toNew York Timeson Friday.
The civil rights leader, 81, announced his decision during the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s weekly radio broadcast on Saturday, according toFox 32 Chicago.
“I’m going to make a transition pretty soon,” Jackson said, per the outlet. “I’ve been doing this stuff for 64 years. I was 18 years old. I’m going to get a new president for Rainbow PUSH Coalition.”
Michael Kovac/Getty Images
He continued: “I’m going to work along with the new president and our board, and we’ll have a new president who will in fact be working here day to day. I want to see us grow and prosper. I think this idea about stopping your drop does not make sense. We have the ability to build on what we’ve established over the years.”
The reverend reiterated the decision during a convention kickoff Saturday morning.
One of his sons, Illinois Democratic Rep. Jonathan Jackson toldThe Chicago Sun-Timesthat there “is a determination made that in his current health and condition that he has appointed a successor and will formally announce it Sunday.”
In 2017, Jackson revealed that he wasdiagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, an incurable degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, in 2015.
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition confirmed in a statement toNYTthat Jackson’s successor will be introduced at the annual international convention in Chicago, which runs until Wednesday.
Jackson will also be paid tribute at the convention Saturday afternoon to celebrate his 35 years as president since his 1988 nomination.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Jackson founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in 1971 as a result of merging Operation PUSH and the Rainbow Organization and is “dedicated to improving the economic conditions of Black communities across the United States,” per thewebsite.
He also ran as a Democratic presidential candidate in 1984 and served as a shadow U.S. senator for Washington D.C. from 1991 to 1997.
source: people.com
