Greenville native Jesse Jackson dies at 84

Civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson passed away on Feb. 17, 2026, at age 84 after a lengthy illness.

Jackson was a Greenville native who grew up near Cleveland Street. He was a 1959 graduate of Sterling High School, the same high school Joseph Vaughn ’68 graduated from a few years after Jackson. He was denied entry to Furman University due to segregation policies in the late 1950s.

Jackson would return to campus to speak and engage with students in 2013. During his October 2013 visit, Jackson spoke at McAlister Auditorium to more than 800 attendees. He also gave a private lecture in Professor Emeritus of History Diane Vecchio’s class at that time. 

Read about Jackson’s visit at Furman News and in The Paladin.