AL HJR172

Joint resolution commemorating Reverend Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader who passed away February 17, 2026, at age 84

Jackson was born October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, became an ordained Baptist minister in 1968, and served as a protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. within the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Founded Operation PUSH in 1971, later expanded to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition; ran for president in 1984 and 1988, receiving 3.5 million votes in his first campaign

Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000; successfully negotiated release of American hostages held by foreign governments

Resolution passed the House on February 26, 2026, and was adopted by the Senate on March 5, 2026