Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson dies at 84

The Reverend Jesse Jackson has died. He was 84 years old. Jackson joined the civil rights movement in the early 1960s and begam working closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. Jackson was near king on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis when King was shot to death in April 1968.

Jackson became a leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the years after King’s death. He went onto create Operation PUSH in Chicago as part of his effort to continue advocating for change. One of his signature slogans was “Keep Hope Alive”. Jackson ran for president in 1984 and 1988, but failed to win the Democratic Party nomination.

Jackson maintained close ties with civil rights leaders in Detroit, often visiting for NAACP or Operation PUSH events in the city. The Rainbow/PUSH non-profit coalition was created in the mid-1990s. Jackson also gave the eulogy for Rosa Parks at her funeral in Detroit in 2005.

President Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000.

Additional headlines from Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026

SW Detroit residents remember flood

This is the first anniversary of a major flood in Southwest Detroit. A 54-inch water main broke last year, causing problems for hundreds of residents in the area.

Several feet of icy water poured into streets and basements. The city had to evacuate more than 150 homes in the Springwells neighborhood. Residents in the area say some were evacuated by boat. Some lost their cars due to the amount of freezing water in the streets.

Michigan ranked #1 for men's college basketball

And Michigan is ranked number on in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll. It’s the first time that’s happened in 13 years.

The AP says the Wolverines claimed 60 of 61 first-place votes in yesterday’s new poll. Michigan is set to play number three Duke Saturday evening.